GOOD ENERGY
One-off payments worth up to £300 available to help with energy bills – how to get the boost now
Find out if you're eligible to claim from your local council
HUNDREDS of cash-strapped households could be eligible for one of £300 payment to help cover energy costs.
The government's Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) has made funding available for families struggling with rising costs.
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Residents in Blackpool will receive support from the Household Support Fund (HSF) to ease the burden of the current cost of living.
Applicants for the fund must be over the age of 16 and responsible for paying electric/gas bills for the property.
Only Blackpool Council residents experiencing financial hardships will be awarded the one-off payment.
To be eligible, you can't have received an HSF payment in the last 12 months.
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Households with one or two people - including children - will see £200 paid directly to their energy provider.
Those with three or more will get £300 paid towards their energy costs.
The council will carry out checks to determine how many people are in each house.
The children must be permanent residents at the address.
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The scheme is set to run until September 30, however, it may be withdrawn earlier if the allocated funding has been exhausted.
Households in Blackpool can expect short-term financial support for immediate needs and to help those struggling with energy costs.
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There are no requirements for residents to be on Universal Credit or other DWP benefits to apply for the fund.
It comes after Bracknell Forest Council in Berkshire announced they had funnelled an extra £555,468 into the community.
Whereas, hard-up families in Middlesborough on Universal Credit and seven other benefits could be eligible for a £50 cash voucher.
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Household Support Fund (HSF) was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times, to September 2024.
The latest round of funding is worth £421million to councils in England.
Who qualifies and the level of support given is a postcode lottery, as each local authority can set its own criteria for distributing the funds.
However, if you have a limited amount of money or savings in the bank, are classed as vulnerable or are on benefits, you will likely qualify for help.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
What support is available?
The support provided varies from council to council, so it's worth checking the schemes your local council has in place to make sure you receive all the assistance available.
For example, in Hertfordshire funds have also been made available to support households on low incomes facing immediate financial crisis, provide help with energy costs and support food banks.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's tool on its website.
You don't need to worry about additional support impacting existing benefits, as these will be unaffected by payments from the HSF.
And, you do not necessarily need to be in receipt of benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.
What's on offer from five different councils right now
Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council has secured a further £4.5 million pounds from the DWP.
Here's what you can get:
- £80 payment to pensioners in receipt of pension credit
- £80 payment to adults assessed receiving care
- £80 payment per child for families receiving council tax support on June 3, 2024
- £80 payment per child for families living in emergency accommodation on June 3, 2024
Coventry City Council
Households who find themselves in financial difficulty can apply for a range of support:
- £120 to single people or childless couples to help with energy and water bills
- £140 to families to help with energy and water bills
- £25 worth of food parcels
- Household appliances and furniture
- £95 per adult and £60 per child in clothes vouchers
- £20 to single person or childless couple in toiletries vouches
- £30 to families in toiletries vouches
Ealing Council
Ealing has been allocated £2.6M to support low-income families between now and the end of September 2024.
All of the following supermarket vouchers will be provided by the council's partner, Blackhawk.
- £105 to families claiming benefits related free school meals in supermarket vouchers
- £105 to families with children under the age of five who get Housing Benefit or council tax reduction
- £105 to care leavers in supermarket vouchers
If you are eligible, you do not need to apply for the vouchers.
Hartlepool Borough Council
The majority of Hartlepool's HSF funding is targeted at children and pensioners in low-income households.
The funding is allocated to these two groups in the form of shopping vouchers for food or in some cases as a bank payment.
Eligible households could get:
- £60 shopping vouchers per child in receipt of free school meals
- £60 shopping vouchers to low-income pensioners
Herefordshire Council
Households in Herefordshire can get up to £500 depending on their circumstances and level of need.
The Council said it is available for "the most vulnerable households".
Eligible households could get access to the following:
- £500 cash grants through the Herefordshire Community Foundation Fuel Poverty Fund
- £250 cash grants for individuals that use 'high energy' use medical equipment
Parents may also be able to get a one-off emergency payment voucher of £75.
How do you apply?
To get the help, you'll need to check with your council - as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.
Information on how to apply for the funding should be published on your council's website.
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Each council will have a different application process.
Many councils won't actually require you to apply for the help and will contact you about it, or issue vouchers via email or your child's school.
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