Households can get free £150 payment to help with cost of living - how to claim
Help through the Households Support Fund is being offered by each council in the UK
Thousands of households can claim a free cash payment worth £150 to help with the cost of living.
The help comes from the Government's Households Support Fund. This scheme gives local councils funding which is used to offer help and support to households struggling with day-to-day costs. The help provided is decided by each individual council so the support varies across the country.
Hastings Borough Council in East Sussex will be handing out cash payments worth £150 to low income households. According to the council's website, the money will be provided to cover the cost of energy bills, water bills, and food. To be able to claim the cash, you will need be over the age of 18, have less than £6,000 in savings, and find it "difficult to pay for "food, energy, or water".
Hastings Council says households do not need to be claiming housing support - e.g housing benefit, council tax reduction, or Universal Credit - to claim the help. However, you do need to be liable to pay for rent, council tax or a mortgage. If successful, the council will pay the £150 payment directly into your bank account. Households can only claim one cost of living payment between April and September 2024.
You can make an application for the support online through the Council's website here. Alongside the online application, the council says you will need to supply "sufficient evidence" which proves you are in financial difficulty. This can include bank, debit or credit card statements.
If you are not a resident of Hastings, you will not be able to claim this help however your local council will be offering its own help through the Household Support fund. Local authorities have shared what support they are giving between April and September 2024 when the scheme will end. To find out what this is you should go to your local council's website. Usually, they will have a separate cost of living tab which details the help on offer.