The government’s Household Support Fund is giving out £100 cost of living payment for thousands of households to help pay for necessary expenses.
Thousands of Households Can Access £100 Cost of Living Payment
Here’s how it works: local authorities in all parts of the country are given a share of this money to pass on to those who need it. Factors like the size of the area, population and numbers of families at risk determine how much each council gets.
The value of vouchers or grants varies depending on your location, so you should check with your local authority about what is available and how you will receive it. For example, thousands of London Borough residents might soon qualify for a £100 cash grant.
Here are the most important components:
- Automatic payments to eligible residents
- Payments issued by schools to students getting free school meals
- An application-based scheme for those ineligible for automatic payments
For some residents, automatic payments will be made because they are on the council's benefits and support registers, as recipient households :
- Housing benefit
- Council tax reduction
- Other direct council support
If you are receiving an automatic payment, you don't need to worry about its effect on your benefits as there is none and therefore no repayment is necessary. You could use the money to buy essentials such as food, fuel or other items that will help you in your situation.
Postal vouchers are issued through automatic payments. You can then redeem them at any of the 11,500 post offices in the UK.
When redeeming your voucher, you must present one of the following pieces of identification:
- A utility bill that has been dated within the last three (3) months, for example, a gas or electricity bill
- A bank account statement that have been dated within the past three (3) months
- Your valid passport or photographic driving licence
- Your own name appearing on a debit card or credit card
Should you not receive an automatic payment and need help, you can apply to the Haringey Support Fund. Applicants must benefit from at least one of these benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based jobseekers' allowance
- Income-based employment and support allowance
- Incapacity benefit
- Pension credit
- Income support
- Severe disablement allowance
- Contribution-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA) or employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit
If you are on a low household income and do not receive any of these benefits, you can also apply. For the Support Fund, low income is less than :
- £500 after tax per week for a family
- £350 after tax per week for an individual
The household support fund has payments that are made by the council for those who have applied to their household support fund. Find out more at haringey.gov.uk
What if You Live Elsewhere than Haringey?
Each local authority is responsible for allocating funds and will be able to decide whether to take part in the programme. To find your council, use the gov.uk search tool 'Councils in England'.
Once you've found your council, you'll find information on how to apply on their website. Each council has its own application procedure, so the specific details of how to apply will vary depending on where you live.
There may therefore be differences in the eligibility criteria used to access the fund. You may be eligible without having to apply, as some authorities may contact you automatically.
