THOUSANDS of hard up households can grab up to £150 to help cover food bills as the cost of living crisis bites.
The extra support comes as part of the government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) initiative.
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The HSF was first rolled out in October 2021 with a £500million pot to help those struggling with the cost of living.
The scheme was only meant to last until March 31, 2022.
But now another £500million of funding has been dished out to local authorities and grants will be available until September 2022.
The cash will come as a welcome boost for families who are struggling after record-breaking inflation clobbered their finances.
Can I claim free cash?
Councils get to decide who to give the cash to in their local area and how the money should be spent.
North Yorkshire County Council has said it will be giving out a single Support Fund e-voucher to pay for food and other essentials over the coming months to people who are eligible as of May 31, 2022.
This is part of the second phase of the HSF scheme.
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Everyone who is eligible will receive a letter by July 13, which will include information about how to claim and use the e-voucher.
You can use this tool if you are unsure whether you are eligible for the money.
The following groups will receive a single voucher in the amounts listed below:
- If you are getting help to pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of May 31, 2022 and have a child under the age of 19 living at home you will receive a £150 e-voucher.
- If you are a single person of pension age, or in a couple where both people are pension age, getting the maximum discount to help pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of May 31, 2022 you will receive a £150 e-voucher.
- If you are working age, don’t have children and you’re getting the maximum discount to help pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of May 31, 2022 you will receive a £75 e-voucher. If you are a pensioner living with someone of working age you will receive a £75 e-voucher.
The eligibility criteria of support to pay your council tax bill does not include the 25% council tax reduction if you are the only adult living in the property.
Remember, this payment is different to the £150 council tax rebate that most households are getting from the government.
The council is giving the remainder of the money they got from the government to other funding pots in the county which can be used by people who are struggling but don’t meet the eligibility criteria for the HSF e-voucher.
Money will be going to the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund, Warm and Well in North Yorkshire and local food banks.
You can reach out to them if you are in North Yorkshire and in need of help but don’t meet the HSF requirements.
Can I get help if I don’t live in Yorkshire?
Yes. What help you can get depends on where you live as each local council decides what assistance to give in its area and who qualifies.
Check your local council’s website to find out what’s on offer where you live.
Each council has been given a pot of HSF funding to help their local residents, which you could be eligible for.
Hard-up families have been able to save money all over the country using the scheme.
Homeowners in Derby were able to collect up to £120 free cash.
And Torbay Council gave cash-strapped residents a maximum of £50 towards food, and another £50 towards energy bills, in some cases.
Away from the Household Support Fund, there is other help families can claim.
Millions of households are starting to receive a £150 council tax rebate to help with soaring energy bills.
It’s part of a package of measures offered by the Government to help with the cost of living crisis, including £650 for Universal Credit claimants and an extra £300 help for pensioners.
If you’re struggling, it’s worth using a benefits calculator to check whether you could be entitled to extra help too.
