Final days for hard-up households to apply for £500 direct to bank accounts or free appliances
THOUSANDS of households have just days left to apply for £500 to help cope with bills and financial struggles.
Families who have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis can claim support from the local council – if you fit certain criteria.
Residents in Camden, London could be eligible for supermarket vouchers and £500 direct into their bank account.
To apply, you must:
- be over 18 (over 16s can apply if you live independently)
- have lived in Camden for at least 6 weeks
- provide proof that you are in urgent financial need
The council will check the Council Tax database to confirm you are a Camden resident.
If you are not registered, they may request another form of proof such as a bill, bank statement or benefit letter sent to you at a Camden address.
If there is more than one adult or family in your household, the application must come from the person responsible for Council Tax.
There are several ways to apply for support from the Cost of Living Crisis Fund:
- call Citizens Advice Camden on 0808 278 7835
- speak to your neighbourhood housing officer, if you live in a council home
- contact an advice partner
It comes as part of the Household Support Fund (HSF), where the government gave £500million to councils nationwide.
The support available varies across the country, but councils have to allocate the latest round of the Household Support Fund cash by March 31.
While the government has announced it is pumping a further £842million into the HSF after March 31 – thousands are being urged to apply for the free cash available under the current scheme as soon as possible.
That means there’s just 5 days left to claim your support and apply for this round of funding – unless councils have already exhausted their portion of the pot sooner.
If you’re not sure which council is in charge of your area, you can type your postcode into the government’s local council checker tool to check.
The most common types of support you can get are supermarket vouchers, fuel vouchers and one-off payments.
The vouchers or grants on offer vary by location so you’ll have to check to see what you can get and how your council will pay you.
For example, eligible households can get £125 free if they live in the Test Valley area of Hampshire.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents in Plymouth are due electronic vouchers to help pay for food and other essentials at supermarkets.
And eligible households can get up to £180 in free supermarket vouchers depending on their circumstances.
If you need help but you’re not eligible for this money, you might be able to grab free cash towards your energy bills from your energy supplier.
For those on benefits, you may be able to grab £1000s worth of free cash support that you didn’t know about.