Thousands of households to get cost of living grants worth up to £600 direct to bank accounts – will you get a payment?

THOUSANDS of hard-up households are in line for £600 in cost-of-living cash to help cover food, energy costs, and clothing.

The help comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421 million.

The fund offers financial help to low-income households who can use the money to pay for their shopping, bills or other essentials.

It was first introduced by the Government in 2021 and has been extended several times since.

Funding is given out to local councils who then distribute it to those most in need in their areas.

That means the support on offer, and who is eligible, varies depending on where you live.

London Borough of Richmond on Thames is dishing out up to £600 in help to thousands of households.

The was awarded £836,357 to cover the period April to September 2024

The support will be given to low-income households particularly affected by the cost of living crisis, the COVID pandemic and the higher costs of household essentials, the council said.

You can apply for a grant for food, energy costs, clothing, and essential equipment.

If your grant application is successful you’ll receive a cash award via a BACS payment into your account or get supermarket vouchers.

Here’s how much household could get:

• Up to £300 for households with 1 or more adults
• Up to £500 for households with 1 child
• Up to £600 for households and 2 children or more

Anyone applying must be over 18 and live in the borough of Richmond and be struggling from the impact of rising costs of food and energy or continue to be impacted by Covid, for example:

• Reduced pay or lost job
• Benefits issues
• Struggling to afford food, energy costs and other essentials, including white goods
• Extra costs as a result of Covid

The council also said that people with no recourse to public funds are also eligible, particularly if:

• there are community care needs
• they have serious health problems
• there is a risk to a child’s wellbeing

If you need more information Citizens Advice Richmond by freephone 080 82 78 78 73.

You can also complete and apply for the grant with the Citizens Advice online form.

For people with long-term health conditions, disabilities and carers contact Richmond AID by emailing advice@richmondaid.org.uk or calling 020 3393 7011

Can I get help if I don’t live in Richmond?

You might be able to. The £421million HSF pot has been shared between councils in England, but not equally.

Each local authority gets to decide its own eligibility criteria.

Some councils started distributing help in April and have already depleted their share, so you might have missed out for now.

The Household Support Fund has been extended multiple times since its inception in October 2021, but that means it may be extended again.

There are currently a number of councils offering help via the HSF.

Tower Hamlets Council is dishing out cost of living cash worth £100.

Meanwhile, Plymouth Council is handing out payments worth up to £740.

If you want to check if you are eligible for help, contact your local council.

You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool.

How else to get help with the cost of living

If you’re not eligible for the Household Support Fund in your local area, it’s worth checking if you qualify for benefits.

Recent figures from Policy in Practice reveal millions of people aren’t claiming the extra help when they could be.

In total, £23billion went unclaimed over the last financial year, with £8.3billion worth of Universal Credit not claimed for.

You can apply for benefits on the Government’s website.

It’s not just extra money you get from benefits either, with a number opening up additional perks.

Those on Universal Credit can get help covering the cost of childcare, for example, while those on Pension Credit can get a free TV licence.

Those on the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit also qualify for the Warm Home Discount – a £150 discount on energy bills once a year.

You may also be able to get grants to cover your energy bills if you’ve fallen into arrears.

A number of energy firms offer grants to struggling customers, including Scottish Power, Octopus Energy and British Gas.

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, speak to your supplier to see if they can give you any help.