A FORMER registered NHS nurse has said she’d be left at rock bottom if the Chancellor failed to extend a major free cash scheme during the Spring Budget.
However, on Wednesday, Jeremy Hunt extended the Household Support Fund (HSF) for the fifth time – adding a further £500million to the pot.
The funding is aimed at supporting vulnerable households with the costs of basic goods and heating their homes through the cost-of-living crisis.
Shirley Widdop, 56, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, said she has been unable to work due to a spinal cord dysfunction called degenerative cervical myelopathy, which she has had since 2011 and which required her to undergo two surgeries.
But Shirley claimed £140 on the Household Support Fund (HSF) in October 2023 to help her pay for her energy bill to heat her home where she lives with her 19-year-old son Jack, who has autism, among other conditions.
The mother-of-three said she was “really pleased” the HSF had been extended until September.
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Her initial thought was “thank God,” but she added that it “must continue” to help those most in need.
It comes as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the HSF, which was due to wrap up at the end of March, will be extended by six months.
Shirley said: “Without it, I would probably be hitting rock bottom financial-wise.
“There’s only so much money you can ask to borrow from your families without causing offence or upset and there’s only so much you can put on a credit card.
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“The (HSF) helps you to stay afloat and you may be treading water, but at least you’re not dragged down into the depths.”
She added that she had used the HSF two or three times, with the latest payment being used to help cover “around two-thirds” of her energy bill.
“I’m someone who doesn’t put the heating on until I’m physically going cold and stiff – it makes my condition worse, especially in my hands and feet,” she said.
“At least for one month, I felt okay.”
Shirley said she fell on hard times after facing domestic violence and abuse where she was forced her to flee her home with her three children.
She added that she has been unable to work due to her disability which causes increasing paralysis in her hands and legs.
“I’m thankful to have had the Household Support Fund because it has helped me to stay afloat, but we are still literally clinging on,” she said.
“As soon as it comes into your bank account, it goes out, and it’s usually to pay for the big bills, the energy bills.”
She added that her initial reaction to the Chancellor extending the scheme was “thank God”, but added: “It’s not long enough.”
“It was the right thing for the Government to do and I’m glad they’ve extended it but the HSF must continue, not just for the six months but further on from that,” she said.
“Everyone deserves to have the security of knowing they have enough income to live on so they flourish and thrive in dignity.”
How does the Household Support Fund work?
The scheme works by handing councils up and down the country a slice of funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
Each local authority gets a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and number of vulnerable households.
The voucher or grant amounts vary by location, so you must check to see what you can get and how your council will pay you.
The fund is often aimed at those who are already on low incomes and claiming help.
But you don’t always need to be on benefits or Universal Credit to be eligible for the cash.
If you’re eligible, you should be able to get free cash and vouchers to help pay for things like heating your home or your weekly grocery shop.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available by visiting https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
How much could you get?
The exact amount of money available to you through the HSF scheme will depend on your council’s criteria.
For example, Birmingham City Council, the country’s largest local authority, has provided cash grants of up to £200 through the HSF in the past.
Households living in North Yorkshire have been able to secure supermarket vouchers worth up to £450 as part of the fourth instalment of the scheme.
Those living in West Northamptonshire earning less than £450 per week could also apply for cash grants worth up to £300.
How to apply
To get the help, you’ll need to check with your council – as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.
To find your local council, visit https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Once you’ve found your council, there should be information on how to apply for funding on its website.
Each council will have a different application process – so exact details on how to apply will vary depending on where you live.
That means that the eligibility requirements to access the fund could also vary – it’s best to check with your local council for more details.
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Some councils won’t require you to apply for the help and they’ll contact you about it instead if you qualify.
If there’s no information on your council’s website, then it’s best to ring them up and ask for more information.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.