Struggling households can get financial support this winter to cover energy bills.
Eligible households can get up to £160 to pay for energy and water bills this winter (Image: Getty)
Households in one part of the UK are being handed cost of living payments of up to £160 this winter to help pay winter energy bills.
The payments are being awarded to eligible households in Coventry who need help with energy bills, including gas, electricity and oil, and water bills as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Household Support Fund. More local councils are giving out cost-of-living support in other parts of the UK, too. The DWP scheme gives local councils across England a share of a funding pot worth £742 million to help vulnerable households struggling to afford essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills, food and other essentials.
The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support.
In the West Midlands, Coventry City Council has confirmed it will be issuing cost of living payments worth up to £160 to eligible households this winter.
Single households and couples without children can get one payment of £120, while families will receive £160.
The council already issued payments to eligible households earlier this year during the spring and summer months, but applications are now open until March to allow households to apply for support over the winter.
Applications for the payments can be made online via the council website and households will need to provide proof of financial hardship to support their application.
You’ll also need to provide your National Insurance number, your ARC number (if you’re an asylum seeker), bank or building society statements, and evidence of benefits and other forms of income.
The council said: “This type of support provides households help with their energy costs. Applications can be made in two periods: from April to September (Spring and Summer months) and from October to March (Autumn and Winter months). This ensures that households can receive support throughout the year, particularly during the colder months when heating costs typically rise.
“By spreading the assistance across both the warmer and colder seasons, the fund aims to help households manage their fuel bills effectively all year round.
“Single people or childless couples can receive one award in each period of £120. Families can receive £160.
“Please note that we can not provide support after 30 days from the end of the grant period. This means applications for Fuel/Energy and Water Support made at the end of March will be for the remaining weeks up to 30 April 2026.”
As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, it means that the cost of living support available will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country.
The payments may also be issued at different times depending on where you live, so it’s possible for some to receive the support in time for Christmas, while others may have a longer wait.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.
For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.
In the East Midlands, households in Nottingham can apply for £100 vouchers to spend in supermarkets, while in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs and other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.
In the East of England, Cambridgeshire County Council is issuing £110 to eligible households in the form of direct payments or supermarket vouchers, while in North West England, Cheshire and West Chester Council is issuing £100 payments to low income pensioner households in December.
