Local councils across England have been given a share of a funding pot worth £742 million from the DWP as part of this year’s scheme, with the cash to be used to help support households with essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills and food.

The funding is allocated to eligible households from now until March 31, 2026, and it is at the discretion of local councils to independently decide how to distribute the cash in their area, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support.

In the London Borough of Camden, struggling households can apply for a cost of living payment of up to £500 to help pay for essentials, such as food and energy bills.

Households have until the deadline of March 31, 2026, to apply for the support through Camden County Council and someone from the council’s Money Advice team will respond within 10 working days.

To be eligible for the support, you must have lived in Camden for at least six weeks, be the main tenant or Council Tax payer, be aged 16 or over and living independently, or 18 years and over, and be living in “severe financial hardship”.

When applying for the support, you’ll need to provide details of any benefits you receive, your most recent bank statements for all current and savings accounts, and any available evidence of debt that’s relevant to your application.

Camden County Council said: “If you are struggling to afford the essentials or you’re in an emergency financial situation, our Money Advice team can help you to:

• get a Cost of Living (COL) Fund or Household Support Fund (HSF) payment worth up to £500
• increase your income and make sure you’re receiving all the benefits you should be

“To apply for these payments, read the information below and then complete the form. It takes about 25 minutes and someone from our Money Advice team will respond to you within 10 working days.”

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.

The 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, residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total, and residents of State Pension age in North Lincolnshire are being offered free air fryers, slow cookers and kettles.

In the East Midlands, households in Nottingham can apply for £100 vouchers to spend in supermarkets, and in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, while 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, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get payments of up to £130 to help with living costs.