THOUSANDS of households are getting £200 of free living allowance.
Help comes through the £421 million Household Support Fund (HSF).
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The Household Support Fund sees councils given money to distribute among residents Credit: Getty
The huge fund is divided among the municipalities in England, which allocate it to residents in need.
The last round of the fund must be distributed to eligible households before the end of September.
What you are entitled to depends on where you live as each council is allocated a unique share of the fund.
Eligibility criteria also vary from area to area, although you’re most likely to qualify if you’re on a low income or on benefits, such as Universal Credit.
Wiltshire Council has received £2.7m from the latest round of HSF which will be shared among thousands of residents in need.
In the last round of support, households received an average of £200 in aid and it will probably be the same in this round as well.
The type of support on offer between now and September ranges from food parcels, vouchers to cover energy and food bills, household items and meals.
Where vouchers are issued to eligible residents, they will come in electronic form with a specified amount loaded.
Wiltshire Council said the latest round of support is aimed at low-income households who are struggling to buy food, pay basic utility bills or generally struggle with the cost of living.
There is no set age limit for those who can receive help, and children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and people with disabilities can qualify.
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The authorities also announced that homeless people sleeping rough and members of the Roma, Roma, traveler and boating communities will also be eligible for assistance.
Anyone eligible for help from Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Wiltshire Council will be contacted by letter or email with the next steps.
For more details about the fund you can visit Wiltshire Council’s website at https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/.
What if I don’t live in Hillingdon?
The last round of the Household Support Fund must be allocated by the municipalities by the end of September this year, but some have started giving aid since April when the round started.
How was the Household Support Fund developed?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Britons get through the winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils across the country have been given a share of £500m of funding available to share with Britons in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and 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 to the scheme until 31 March 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for a fifth time as he delivered his Spring Budget on 6 March 2024.
This means you may have missed your chance to qualify for help if you live outside Wiltshire.
The best thing to do, especially if you have financial difficulties or benefits, is to contact your local council to see if you qualify for any help.
You can find out which council area you fall under using the government’s council finder tool.
Depending on where you live, you may have to actively apply for aid or it may be distributed automatically.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council automatically issues payments of £200 to households, for example.
Leeds City Council sends letters containing a barcode to eligible households which can be taken to their nearest post office and exchanged for cash.
Cambridgeshire Council issues payments of up to £220 to households by bank transfer.
How else to get help for living expenses
If you are not eligible for the Household Support Fund in your local area, it is worth checking whether you are eligible for benefits.
Recent figures from Policy in Practice reveal that millions of people do not seek extra help when they could.
In total, £23 billion was unclaimed during the last financial year, with £8.3 billion worth of Universal Credit unclaimed.
You can apply for benefits on the Government website.
You don’t just get extra cash from benefits, with a number that unlocks extra benefits.
Those on Universal Credit can get help to cover childcare costs, for example, while those on Pension Credit can get a free TV licence.
Those on the Guaranteed Loan element of Pension Credit are also eligible for the Warm Home Discount – a £150 discount on energy bills once a year.
You may also be able to get grants to cover your energy bills if you’ve fallen behind on your payments.
A number of energy companies are offering grants to struggling customers, including Scottish Power, Octopus Energy and British Gas.
If you’re having trouble paying your bill, talk to your supplier to see if they can help.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Additionally, you can join our Sun Money Chat & Tips group on Facebook to share your tips and stories
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Source: HIS Education