The help is from the government’s Household Support Fund scheme which gives local councils pots of cash, which they then use to provide support to those struggling with the cost of living
Households can get a free £147 payment to help with the cost of energy this month.
The help is from the government’s Household Support Fund scheme, which was first introduced by the former Tory government. The scheme – which is managed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – gives local councils pots of cash, which they then use to provide support to those struggling with the cost of living.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is providing energy payments worth £147 to households with biomass heating. According to the council’s website, all homeowners, private renters, and housing association/council tenants can apply for the extra support if they:
- Heat their home via Biomass and are a tenant of Solihull Community Housing
- Have a combined gross household income of no more than £31,000 per year
- Have no household savings (Pensioners can have up to £10,000 in savings per pensioner)
- Have someone living in the home with a vulnerability
Solihull Council says someone with a vulnerability” means they have a long-term physical or mental health condition, has “unmanageable” debts, gets benefit-related free school meals, has had a referral from a foodbank or charitable organisation, or claims certain DWP benefits. These include:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Carers Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Support
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Classed as having limited capability for work-related activities (LCWRA)
- State Pension
According to the website, households will need to satisfy all the criteria above to be eligible. To apply, you will need to send an application to solihullbiomass@actonenergy.org.uk. You will also need to provide proof of your personal situation. This can be a photo of medication showing your name and address or a vulnerability benefit letter.
The evidence must also be dated within the last three months. If you were successful in receiving support through the previous Solihull Household Support Fund, you can apply again if you made your application over six months ago. Applications take around 20 working days to process, and once approved, the money is sent directly to your biomass energy account.
If you are struggling, you should reach out to your local council as they could have cost of living support available. The help that’s available depends on your local council as they decide what support they would like to use their funding for.
Council help includes free cash payments, energy support, supermarket vouchers, and council tax discounts. The Household Support Fund is due to end on March 31, 2025, after the Labour government extended it last year with an extra £421million in funding. Under the rules of the scheme, every council needs to spend the entirety of their funding before the March deadline. If they don’t, the money needs to be returned back to the government.
