Households will be offered new cost of living payments from next week. Although the Department for Work and Pensions is no longer directly sending cash sums into people’s bank accounts as it did in 2022-2024, it has shared £421 million among local authorities so that they can help families in their own areas in similar ways.
The huge sum went into the Household Support Fund, which was extended to run for six more months, from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. It is aimed at giving priority to supporting people who can’t afford essentials such as food and fuel.
Dudley Council was given a share of just over £2.6 million and has delegated the distribution of the cash to support teams and community/voluntary groups who will handle all the applications.
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The council said the fund would be used to provide support to households experiencing financial hardship or crisis, who would otherwise struggle to buy food, pay utility bills, or meet other essential living or housing costs. Assistance will only be offered in exceptional cases of genuine emergency, officials said.
The new scheme will offer a one-off payment of £200. Dudley Council says it is opening applications at noon on January 22.
Payments will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and will take two to four weeks to be processed, going into the bank account specified on your application. To apply you must live in the Dudley borough, have less than £2000 in savings and a household income of less than £40,000 – or £30,000 for single occupancy. You must also NOT have received a previous Household Support Fund payment between April 1, 2024, and January 21, 2025.
One application can be made per household and by the person liable for council tax. You will be able to apply via a link that will be added next week to this Dudley Council webpage.
Targeted financial support will also be provided to pensioners who do not receive Pension Credit but do receive help from Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support. Dudley Council says it has identified 2,989 pension-age residents who will be eligible and each will receive a £125 supermarket card issued automatically. Pensioners do not have to contact the council to receive this support.
In Birmingham, similar cash payments of £200 are being made but the scheme has been paused until March so that all existing enquiries can be dealt with first.
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