Thousands of families can get at least £160 for food and energy bills next year – here’s how

STRUGGLING Brits could get £160 in the new year to help cover essential costs for living.

The government has dished out a £500million pot to local authorities to aid vulnerable families with food, gas and other crucial winter costs.

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The Household Support Fund has been running since October 2021 and is due to end in March 2022.

But it could end even earlier in certain areas.

This is because the government has given each council different amounts of money based on the estimated need for support.

So some councils will run out of funding sooner than others.

The length of funding also depends on how each council decides to dish out their cash.

Support like supermarket and fuel vouchers are up for grabs, along with one-off cash payments or money for white goods.

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This changes on a case-by-case basis, so it’s worth checking with your local council to find out what’s on offer to residents in your area.

To find your local council, you can use the government’s handy local council checker tool on their website.

Hillingdon Council has been handed almost £3million from the government pot to help families struggling this winter. 

With this budget, Hillingdon is offering at least £160 in cash and vouchers to families battling rising utility bills and food prices. 

Applying for this help as soon as possible is essential, as Hillingdon Council has specified that no further payments will be made when funding runs out.

But to nab this support you have to be eligible. 

Hillingdon Council is providing the cash to families both with and without children, meaning thousands of households can apply.

Vulnerable families, with or without children, will receive a one-off payment of £100 to help with utility costs throughout the cold months if eligible.

Hillingdon is also giving eligible households without children a one-off £60 payment to help cover food costs – which means you could get £160 in total.

While anyone with children up to 19 years old who receive free school meals will automatically be handed food vouchers of £15 per child week to cover the school holidays.

For instance, this means a household with one child will receive a £15 food voucher for the upcoming February half term, and a family with two children will receive a £30 food voucher.

It’s a sigh of relief for some households can’t afford to live sustainably due to the energy crisis and UK inflation.

This cost of living crisis means gas and electricity prices are soaring.

This is because wholesale gas prices are climbing and eating into people’s incomes, causing more families to find themselves in financial emergencies.

Here are eight smart ways to keep your energy costs down this winter.

We also explain four ways for struggling households to help pay for food this winter.

Looking to cut the cost of petrol? Here are some fantastic ways to drive down petrol prices.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk