THOUSANDS of households who have received energy bill help vouchers have been urged to cash them in before tomorrow.
Struggling residents who live in Oldham will see their £25 discretionary council tax rebate and Household Support Fund energy vouchers expire tomorrow, September 15.
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It means you won’t be able to cash them in at your local post office after this point.
Households who get a council tax reduction had their £150 council tax rebate boosted to £175 earlier this year to help ease the squeeze.
Those who don’t pay for their council tax bill via direct debit to the council were given the £25 boost as a voucher through the post, to be cashed in at a local post office.
Additionally, hard-up households have been given vouchers under the Household Support Fund to help with their energy bill.
How much the vouchers are worth varies depending on your personal circumstances – but you can cash them in to get help with energy costs.
But these two vouchers will expire tomorrow, Thursday September 15 – and households have been urged to cash them in.
You won’t completely lose the money – instead, it will be taken off your council tax bill if you miss the deadline.
But it could mean you’re unnecessarily waiting for the help when you can cash it in and get help now.
What help can I get if I live elsewhere?
Plenty of other councils are offering cost of living help to struggling families under the Household Support Fund.
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How you apply for help and what you can get will depend on where you live.
The first thing to do is find out which authority is responsible for your application – you can do that using the government’s local council checker tool by inputting your postcode.
Eligibility for the fund, and help on offer, can differ from council to council.
In Runnymede, the council is offering up to £150 for electricity, gas and water to people on certain benefits.
While in Ealing, families with children under the age of five, who get housing benefit and/or council tax reduction, can get £90.
You can also apply to your local council’s welfare assistance scheme.
It works like the Household Support Fund in that you can get help with bills and food costs.
But it’s up to each council whether to run one or not – some don’t even have them, while others offer up to £1,000 cash help.
What other help is on offer?
There are plenty of energy grants and schemes open to help you out if you’re struggling.
British Gas has recently confirmed that it’ll pay its most vulnerable customers grants worth £750 to help with sky-high bills.
Ask your supplier what’s on offer and how to apply, or check here:
There’s also a one-off fuel voucher from your energy supplier if you’re on a prepayment metre.
If you’re in debt there are plenty of services you can take advantage of and they offer free and friendly advice on how to manage debt.
Most of them can offer you free guidance and help in person, over the telephone or online.
They can also help you take the next steps if you need a debt management plan (DMP) to tackle your debt or an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).
These are agreements for managing multiple debts.
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
