Households are able to get as much as £140 if they have two children, or £100 if not, depending on their situation and income.
Households can get up to £140 or more this December (Image: Getty)
Households in one area of the UK could be able to get between £70 and £140 or more in December – while others living elsewhere may be able to get even more.
The Household Support Fund is open until the spring, but many local councils across the UK have different deadlines each month for those in need to claim the cash.
The DWP sends cost of living cash to local authorities across England and Wales each year, with the councils then free to decide how the money should be divvied out individually.
This December, Middlesbrough Council has opened applications for its share of the cash, with households who do not get benefits able to claim £100 each, and households who do get benefits and who have children able to claim £70 per child, so a household with two children would get £140.
For the £100, the cash is only being offered to households who are NOT currently in receipt of Council Tax reduction, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Universal Credit or Income-based Employment and Support Allowance. You must also have less than £6,000 in savings and earn less than between £30,000 or £51,000 depending on whether you have children or not.
For households with children, to get the £70 each, the children must meet the free school meals criteria. If not, you can still apply if you DO claim one of these benefits: Council Tax reduction, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Universal Credit or Income-based Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Credit.
Applications for households who get benefits and do not have children closed on November 25.
If you don’t live in Middlesbrough, there should be cash available where you live instead, though the amounts and the eligibility criteria differs from council to council.
Doncaster Council offers up to £300 of cost of living payments for households with children.
Surrey County Council is offering up to £300 supermarket vouchers in its Everyday Essentials E-voucher scheme funded by the HSF, while Nottingham City Council makes £100 of vouchers available at the start of each month.
Some councils do not publish what amount of funding they give out individually, but will be able to tell you what you could qualify for if you contact them directly. Others simply use the money to fund free school meals or food bank groups.
The UK government’s website says: “Funding is aimed at anyone who’s vulnerable or cannot pay for essentials. You do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council.
“If you get benefits, they will not be affected if you get a payment from a Household Support Fund scheme.
“Councils decide how to run their schemes. There may be differences in eligibility criteria, if or how you need to apply [and] who money is given to.
“For example, some councils share out money through local charities and community groups and some limit household applications to one per year.”
Check here to see if you can apply.
