In a few days, THOUSANDS of households living with limited financial resources in the UK can take advantage of the £200 cost of living support payment. Government's Household Support Fund provides this cash assistance.
The programme works on a principle of providing councils up and down the country with a share of funding that they can then distribute to needy Britons.
Depending on the population, area and how many of its households are vulnerable, each local authority will be given different proportions of the money.
To find out what you can get and how your council will pay you, check where the vouchers or grants vary by location. The national scheme was renewed for a fifth time in April 2024; consequently, more councils are starting to share their local scheme’s criteria.
Who is Eligible for the £200 Cost of Living Grant?
For example, thousands of people living in Dudley might qualify for a £200 cash grant. The fund from their council would open to applications at midday on Wednesday, July 17th.
In order to apply, individuals must meet set requirements and complete an online application form. Here’s who can apply:
For Multi-Person Households:
- You must live in the Dudley Borough.
- Your joint gross income, including wages and other income (e.g., pensions and benefits), must be less than £45,000 per year.
- Your savings should be less than £2000.
For Single-Adult Households:
- You must live in the Dudley Borough.
- Your gross income, including wages and other income (e.g., pensions and benefits), must be less than £35,000 per year.
- Your savings should be less than £2000.
Moreover, you must also indicate the reasons why you are unable to pay your bills. From there, households can apply for the money online by going to Dudley Council’s Household Support Fund Online page from 17 July.
Now Suppose I Don’t Live in Dudley?
You should check with your council – local authorities have responsibility for distributing the funding, therefore this is where you will get help.
Use gov.uk council finder tool to find out who your local council is. After that, information on how to apply should be available on the website of my council.
With every council having a different application process, how to apply will differ depending on where you live. Hence, eligibility criteria for accessing this fund may change as well.
In some cases they won’t expect people applying for assistance and instead would contact those eligible. If there are no answers from your council’s website, it might be better to call them up and ask about everything in detail later on.
What do Other Councils Offer?
Households in Blackpool could be given up to £300 from their Household Support Fund account.
Aside that, inhabitants of Bracknell Forest could receive a £315 cash grant. Families living on little wages in Cambridgeshire can apply for £110 per family monetary reward.
In Falkirk, individuals who receive council tax reduction, housing benefit, universal credit, income support, jobseekers allowance or pension credit are eligible for up to £470 in cash assistance.
Rutland County Council will give one payment of £200 to care leavers this month.