Hardship payments worth up to £250 available for 1,000s of struggling Brits – and you don’t need to be on a low income

HOUSEHOLDS are getting an extra £250 in cost-of-living payments before Christmas.

Hard-up families in Enfield can claim the cash via the government’s Household Support Fund (HSF).

The money is dished out from a pot of £842million by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Each council is allocated a portion of the money to distribute to cash-strapped families.

Grants you can claim depend on your location, so you’ll have to check how much you can get and how your council will pay you.

In Enfield, Brits earning less than £40,000 with savings of less than £1,000 are eligible – meaning you don’t need to be on a low income to get the cash.

The money will come in the form of help for food – either by a food bank or pantry referral, energy bill help, support with housing costs and wider household essentials.

Locals can apply by telling the council details about the hardships they’re facing and why they aren’t able to meet expenses.

What if I don’t live in Enfield?

Your local council will likely have its own version of the scheme going and you should get in contact with them to find out more.

But be quick – applications for HSF are normally done on a first-come-first-serve basis. You don’t want to miss out and be disappointed.

And remember what you get will depend on your situation, and not every council will hand cash out the same way.

For example, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is paying out up to £230 into thousands of people’s bank accounts.

But only if you’re receiving Council Tax Support.

You should check with your local council to see what help you might be in line for.

If you don’t know what council area you fall under, you can use the government’s council locator tool online.

Just type “find my local council” into Google and it should be the first link that appears on the page.

What other help can I get?

There’s always plenty of help to get even if you don’t qualify for HSF.

A number of energy providers for example, including British Gas, E.On and EDF, offer grants worth up to £1,500.

You should contact yours if you are finding it hard to keep up with payments.

And keep in mind the Warm Home Discount is being paid out, although it’s ending this month. It’s a £150 one off payment towards your energy bills paid to eligible households between October and March each year.

There are different ways to qualify for the scheme, but if you live in England and Wales you have to either:

• be receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit
• be on a low income and have high energy costs

Beyond March 31, you can still get help with energy bills if you are struggling with payments.

For example, the £301 cost of living payment will be hitting bank accounts between April 25 and May 17.

It’s part of the big £900 payment going out this year, which will arrive in three parts – the remaining two, worth £300 and £299 will be made this autumn and in spring 2024 respectively.