This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents
Thousands of struggling households are being urged to check if they can get £100 in free money or vouchers through a cost of living scheme. The help is being distributed by Hartlepool Borough Council as part of the Household Support Fund.
This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents. It is up to each local authority to decide what support it offers, and who is eligible for help.
Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to all households where a child is aged between two and 19 and is eligible for free school meals.
Meanwhile, households with pensioners who are in receipt of council tax support will get £100 in bank payments or food vouchers this year.
The local authority is also giving £40,000 to Hartlepool Food Bank to distribute food parcels, plus £90,000 to Citizens Advice to help residents struggling with energy bills.
Hartlepool Borough Council has been awarded £1.75million in Government funding, with a deadline to spend the money by April 2026. Details on how to apply for help from the council have yet to be revealed.
If you’re not a Hartlepool resident, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you through the Household Support Fund.
For example, Worcestershire County Council is giving Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest residents up to £500 in energy help.
There is up to £500 available for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21, or up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66. Pensioner households can also get up to £300.
The money can be paid straight to your energy provider, or you may be offered Post Office vouchers. In order to receive this help, you must have an overall household income of £24,570 if you’re single and with no children, or £31,000 or less a year for all other households.
There is an exception for households claiming certain non-means tested benefits. You must also have no household savings, with the exception of if you’re over state pension age, in which case you can have £5,000 in savings.
You or someone else in your household must also have a long-term diagnosed health condition or registered disabled, be of state pension age, have young children of pre-school age (four years old or under), be in receipt of benefits, or be receiving help from a registered charity or GP.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is giving out vouchers to help with energy or food costs worth £300. This is split into two £150 vouchers. In order to be eligible, you must be over the age of 16 and living independently of parents or carers and have no money to cover essential bills.