Thousands of families can get £140 extra help with energy bills – but you need apply NOW

THOUSANDS of families can get £140 in extra help with energy costs as the cold weather – and bill hikes – start to bite.

Councils across the country were given a combined £500million to give to struggling Brits as part of the Household Support Fund.

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Local authorities can dish out help in cash, vouchers and more to help families with household essentials, food and energy bills.

The scheme was launched in October last year and lasts over the winter months.

But each council decides how to dish out its funds, so what help you get depends on where you live.

In most cases, you have until March 31, 2022 to apply for the help – but it’s better to claim sooner rather than later as funds may have been used up before then.

Kirklees Council, for example, is offering families a one-off payment of £140 to households struggling to pay their energy bills.

It’s not the only help struggling Brits living in the area can get – you can also get money to help replace large electrical kitchen items, buy bedding, and cover transport costs.

To apply, you need to put in a claim before March 31 – but it’s a good idea to apply as soon as you can before the council’s pot of cash runs out.

You can apply for the help online on Kirklees Council’s website – it takes about 10 minutes, but you’ll need a recent bank statement and copies of your latest bills.

If you live in a different council catchment area, then the help you can get may differ – you can check who your local council is using this gov.uk tool and ask yours for more information on the scheme.

The Sun has rounded up what a number of other councils are offering hard-up families under the Household Support Fund.

If you live in Barnsley, you could get up to £200 in vouchers to spend at supermarkets and shops including Aldi, Asda, Argos and Currys.

While this month through to mid-February, Durham council is offering eligible families £60 worth of food vouchers.

If you live in Birmingham, you can get £200 cash as part of help from the scheme.

If your local council has run out of funding or you are not eligible for the help, there are other ways to get assistance.

You may not be aware that you can get your council tax bill reduced if you’re struggling to get by.

For those falling behind on rent, you could apply for a discretionary housing payment.

Plus, many councils have a welfare assistance scheme in place – you can get up to £1,000 in free cash.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk