HOUSEHOLDS will be able to apply for up to £270 free cash from next month.
The cost of living is still sky high but there is free help available to those struggling.
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The support comes from the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is a pot worth £842million.
The HSF is money from the government that is there to help low-income households with the rising costs of living.
The money is distributed among councils across England and each council decides how to share their portion of the fund.
This means that not everyone will get the same amount and what you get depends on where you live.
Some local authorities are making bank transfers while others are offering help in the way of food or utility bill vouchers.
For example, those who live in Rutland could get £100s in support.
How much you get will depend on your circumstances but households can apply from next month once the new round of funding opens
Rutland Council may change what it is going to offer, but people could get:
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- A £30 food voucher for households with school aged children for the school breaks – supplied for October half-term
- A £40 food voucher for households with school-aged children over Christmas
- A one-off payment of £100 to care leavers (September 2023)
- A one-off payment of £100 to eligible households who get council tax support
- an online application form for households with extenuating circumstances
Eligibility can vary but households will usually need to be on low-income, receiving certain benefits, have children or of pension age.
The exact date when the scheme opens hasn’t been revealed but it’s worth getting in touch with Rutland Council for more information.
Households will not need to apply for the funding, they will be contacted by the council.
What if I don’t live in Rutland?
If you don’t live in Rutland, ask your local council what it’s offering through the Household Support Fund.
Those living in Dudley could get up to £275 to help towards the cost of living from next month.
In North Yorkshire, thousands of locals received electronic supermarket vouchers worth up to £325.
In other councils – including Buckinghamshire, North Norfolk and Shropshire – details are still being finalised for the period between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
There is other help out there if you are not eligible for the funding.
For example, you could be entitled to a cost of living payment of up to £1,350.
This year and into 2024 the Government is handing out payments to millions of people.
Individually the payments are worth £900, £300 and £150.
Some people may be eligible for all three which means a total of £1,350.
The £900 payment has been split into three instalments worth £301, £300 and £299.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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