THOUSANDS of struggling households can grab £30 to help cover food and energy bills next year.
It’s part of the £500million Household Support Fund designed to dish out free cash to vulnerable families hard-hit by winter costs.
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Each UK council has been given a chunk of money from the government to give to its local residents.
It comes as the cost of living increases for Brits, leaving many struggling to afford food and petrol.
Higher energy prices are to blame for rising inflation, meaning the cost of oil, gas and electricity has increased along with demand, making prices soar and incomes worth less.
Not only is this causing consumers to struggle, but also suppliers to go bust.
Measures were called upon to help struggling energy customers.
Central Bedfordshire Council, for example, is offering £30 to help cover February half term costs to households with children who receive free school meals.
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Each eligible child will receive a one-off £15 supermarket voucher to cover the February half term and the remaining £15 will go towards utility bills.
In this instance, a child is classed as anyone under the age of 19 up to March 31 2022.
This means plenty of households are able to get their hands on this help next year.
Bedfordshire residents are sent a code via email or letter if they are eligible for the free cash, which they put into their application online.
If you believe you could be eligible but have not been contacted you should speak to your local council immediately.
You can find your local council via the government’s website by using their council checker tool.
Central Bedfordshire Council confirmed to The Sun: “The money we have available for this grant is limited, so please apply as soon as you can to avoid missing out.
“The scheme will end on 20 March 2022, or when funds are exhausted, whichever is first.”
If you are not a Bedfordshire resident, don’t worry.
You can contact your own local council to bag the support.
Areas such as Birmingham have been given a whopping £12.8million as part of the scheme to distribute to its local councils.
Essex has also been allocated a huge chunk of £9.4million to help its residents, while Bradford has been given £5.6million, and Tower Hamlets £3million.
Each council decides how they will hand out the cash, with some choosing supermarket or energy bill vouchers and others offering one-off cash payments.
Check with your local council to find out what’s on offer as each application is handled on a case-by-case basis.
Eligibility also differs from council to council, with some requiring residents to be seeking benefits or free school meals and others not.
Be prepared to provide evidence of your income, benefits or struggles to your local authority – otherwise you may not be able to apply.
Herefordshire council is offering a one-off £60 payment to its residents and we explain how to apply for that and when to do it by here.
Durham is another council offering £60, and it’s not too late to apply for your vouchers.
Or if you’re a vulnerable household on benefits worried about making cash last in January, you can read our advice here.
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