THOUSANDS of struggling families can get free household appliances to help combat rising bills.
Councils across the country are offering families free white goods to use in their homes.
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The goods are being dished out as part of the government’s Household Support Fund (HSF).
The HSF was launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid a cost of living crisis.
In May the Government added an additional £500million to the fund.
It was also extended until March 2023 to help the country’s vulnerable households.
Councils have been given a slice of the new funding on offer, which will be given out to struggling households to help them with the rising cost of bills and food.
The appliances being offered vary from council to council, with some offering air fryers as well as washing machines.
What you will receive will depend on your circumstances and will differ depending on what your local council is offering.
That means what you’re entitled to will depend on where you live.
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But, in most cases, white goods, money or vouchers are offered out to households on low incomes or benefits.
Typically, you will need to apply for the white goods through your council if it is offering them.
You’ll need to check with your local council for details.
We’ve rounded up some of the councils offering white goods to local households and how to apply.
Camden
Residents in Camden can get various different help under the HSF.
The council has put its remaining share of the fund in its Cost of Living Crisis fund.
The support you receive could be appliances to help you reduce costs such as a slow cooker, air fryer or microwave.
You can apply for money from our Cost of Living Crisis Fund if you are in urgent need of financial help.
To apply, you must:
- be over 18 (over 16s can apply if you live independently)
- have lived in Camden for at least six weeks
- provide proof that you are in urgent financial need
There are several ways to apply for support, you can:
- call Citizens Advice Camden on 0808 278 7835
- speak to your neighbourhood housing officer, if you live in a council home
- contact one of the council’s advice partners
Keep an eye on the council website for further updates on the scheme.
Plymouth
Plymouth residents can also get help through the HSF.
The help includes white goods, as well as supermarket vouchers and cash too.
Eligible households can apply for an essential appliance, including delivery, installation, and old appliance removal where applicable.
Households can only apply for the funds if they didn’t access support from the previous round of HSF between July and November.
To apply, households must also fall into one of the eligible categories:
- households with at least one child under 18 who resides in the property on a permanent basis
- households where someone has a disability or a long term health condition
- households where someone has reached pension age
Applications will reopen in January 2023 for the second round of funding.
You will able to apply on the Citizens Advice Plymouth website.
More information and the application link will be added to the council’s webpage in early January.
Worcester
Worcester City Council has added a huge chunk of its HSF allocation to its Discretionary Welfare Assistance Scheme (DWAS).
The scheme is aimed at helping low-income Worcester households who need support with food, energy or white goods.
It has recently been expanded to help single people and couples, as well as families.
Help available can include providing fridge freezers and/or washing machines, as well as food and energy vouchers.
You can’t apply directly to this scheme – a supporting agency or organisation must apply on your behalf.
This could be a support worker, care worker, health professional, children’s centre, local charity, housing or homelessness support service.
Check the council’s website for more details.
Leicester
Leicester City Council is also offering thousands of its residents a helping hand this winter.
It will look at the information in your application to see what support you need.
If you’re successful you could get anything from a supermarket voucher to a fridge freezer.
Other white goods that are available include: cookers, washing machines and microwaves.
All of the items will be delivered, but do bear in mind they might be second-hand.
Applications are currently closed, but the next round of applications will reopen from January 3, 2023.
A professional will need to refer you if you also need any of the following:
- essential kitchen equipment (cookers, fridge freezers, microwaves and washing machines)
- in exceptional cases, support with housing costs
More details on how to be referred are available on the council’s website.
How else can I get white goods for free?
If your local council doesn’t provide white goods under the HSF, there are other options available to you.
Struggling with the cost of living can get their hands on free or cheap white goods including cookers, fridges and washing machines.
Local councils have schemes in place to help those struggling financially by providing essential furniture and white goods.
For example, Kent County Council offers households facing financial hardship free white goods.
Under the Kent Support and Assistance Service, households can get broken households appliances replaced free of charge.
For full eligibility requirements see the council’s website.
Bolton Council’s Local Welfare Provision service is there to help households experiencing financial crisis.
The council can provide struggling households with basic furniture and essential white goods.
The scheme is run on a case-by-case basis and there’s no specific eligibility requirement so you’ll need to apply for help online to check if you’re eligible.
Hackney Council’s discretionary crisis support scheme can help households by providing essential appliances and white goods such as a cooker, fridge, freezer or washing machine.
Households could also be provided with bedding, mattresses, furniture and in some cases floor coverings like lino and carpets.
There are also more than 3,000 charities giving cash to buy white goods.
To check what you’re entitled to, see the grant checker on the charity website Turn2Us.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
