This month, households can receive a free cash payment of £300 to assist with living costs. The Household Support Fund, a government-funded scheme, is being utilised by one council to distribute this money.
This scheme allows local councils to use allocated funds to aid residents who are struggling with bills or have low incomes. Each council provides different types of support, which can range from cash payments to bill discounts and vouchers for energy or supermarkets.
Shropshire Council received £2.1 million from the government and will be offering cost of living payments of £300 to low-income pensioner households and £100 payments to individuals leaving care. To qualify for this support, pensioner households must be receiving council tax support and/or Housing Benefit, but not Pension Credit.
All eligible households have been sent a letter detailing how to apply for the payment. Applications can be made online via Shropshire Council’s website, and applicants will need their National Insurance number and the unique identifier code provided in their letter.
If you haven’t received a letter from Shropshire Council but believe you’re eligible, you should contact them directly, reports the Mirror.
If households wish to avail of the support, they must act swiftly. The cut-off date for claiming the £300 is January 26.
Post this date, applications will be permanently closed. The scheme, which was first introduced by the Tory government in October 2021, has seen multiple extensions, the latest one being from the current Labour government.
This extension provided an additional £421million to councils. If you’re not a resident of Shropshire, you won’t be eligible to apply for this scheme.
However, your local council will have its own Household Support Scheme that you can utilise. Keep a lookout for any updates on these schemes on your local authority’s website.