People living in Barking and Dagenham, in London, can get up to £500 worth of cost of living help through their local council’s Household Support Fund scheme
Thousands of households can get cost of living support worth up to £500 through the Household Support Fund scheme.
Funded by the Central Government, the Household Support Fund gives each local council with a pot of cash to spend helping struggling households in their area. Each authority can spend the cash how they see fit and support does vary between different areas, with some providing free cash payments and others providing supermarket and energy vouchers.
People living in Barking and Dagenham, in London, can get up to £500 worth of help through their local council’s Household Support Fund scheme. Under the scheme, eligible households will receive a flat rate award to help them cover food and basic energy costs. Households without children can get a payment of £380, and those with can get £500.
To be eligible for support, you will need to be living in the area for at least three months and you must be on a low income and claiming one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income based Job Seekers Allowance
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit only)
- Universal Credit
Barking and Dagenham Council say households don’t need to be claiming benefits to be eligible for the support, however, you will need to provide evidence that you are dealing with financial hardship. If you are successful, the money will be paid through Pin4Cash text payments as a lump sum. The money can also be paid through BACS or vouchers/pre-paid cards depending on the applicant’s circumstances. You can make an application for support online through the council’s website here.
As mentioned before, each local council offers their own support and you can only claim from your authority. Councils have now shared what support they are giving between April and September 2024 when the Household Support Scheme will come to an end. To find out what this is you should go to your council’s website.
