UK households missing out on £65million from cost of living scheme – how to claim

Exclusive:

The cost of living help comes from the Household Support Fund scheme, which has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area

Over £65million is left from the Government’s cost of living scheme – but there is not long left to claim it.

The cost of living help comes from the Household Support Fund scheme, which has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area. The amount of money given to each authority depends on the size and population of the area, with larger, more densely populated areas receiving more cash to spend. You can only receive support from your local council, and each area decides how to spend its funding.

This means it can be a postcode lottery on the support you can get. Over the last few years, the help provided by councils has ranged from free cash payments, council tax discounts, and supermarket and energy vouchers. The funding has also been given to food banks, heating hubs, and other local organisations.

It was first launched under the former Tory government in 2021, and has been extended several time since. In September last year, Labour extended the scheme for another six months giving it a further £421million in funding. The scheme is due to end on March 31, 2025, and it is expected to come to an end completely on this date – although Labour has not officially confirmed this in 2025.

With each round of funding, local councils needed to spend the entirety of their allocated funding. If not, any left needs to be returned to the government. Exclusive figures obtained by responsible lender Creditspring through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to councils in England have revealed that £65.2million worth of funding is still available – even though the deadline is just over two weeks away.

According to the data, exclusively shared with the Mirror, over 20 councils have more than £1million left in their Household Support Fund pots. Over £20million of the total outstanding amount is available from just 10 councils. According to the data, Surrey County Council has £ 3.5 million worth of funding left, which is the most of all councils that responded to the FOI requests.

The second is Norfolk County Council with £3.3 million, and then Staffordshire County Council with £2.5 million. The councils with the least amount of funding left are Guilford Borough, which has only £2,500 left to spend, and Broxbourne Council, which only has £1,485.

In total, there are 317 local authorities in England, and Credit Spring’s data only covers 133 councils that responded to the FOI requests, which were submitted to councils on February 2, 2025. This means that some councils will have less funding left in their pot as we approach the deadline.

Neil Kadagathur, CEO and Co-Founder of Creditspring, said: “It’s been another punishing winter for household finances. Schemes such as the Household Support Fund can provide a lifeline for those struggling to afford rising bills but with millions left unclaimed, it is clear that vulnerable people are missing out on much-needed support.

“Navigating government websites can be overwhelming, making it difficult for people to determine which benefits they’re entitled to. Creditspring’s Benefits Finder tool simplifies the process, unlocking access to benefits they may not even realise they qualify for.

“Borrowing can also provide a lifeline in this difficult financial climate, but high interest rates and hidden fees often add further strain over time. Creditspring offers access to safe, transparent and affordable short-term credit options that prevent people from spiralling into debt and contribute to improving the financial wellbeing of its customers.”

If you have not yet claimed help from your local council’s Household Support Fund, then you should act quickly. Gov.uk has a search tool that lets you find the contact details for your council. All you need to do is enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is. You can find out who your local council is through the official Gov.uk page here.

Alternatively, you should be sent council tax letters yearly that state who your local authority is. Each council details what support they are offering on their website – alongside its eligibility criteria. Usually, they will have a separate cost of living tab which details the help on offer.

Each council will have a different application process for the scheme. Some ask you to apply online, while others over the phone. Some councils are also reaching out to those eligible directly. The majority of councils require applicants to provide proof they are on a low income or are in “financial distress”. This proof can be things such as bank statements and bills. If you are still unsure, you should contact your local authority directly for more information.

List of councils with Household Support Funding left

1. Surrey County Council – £3,500,000
2. Norfolk County Council – £3,389,929.80
3. Staffordshire County Council – £2,578,356.25
4. Essex County Council – £2,551,249.18
5. Hull City Council – £2,277,261
6. Worcestershire County Council – £2,200,000
7. Wiltshire Council – £1,718,425
8. Cumberland Council – £1,695,622
9. City of Wolverhampton Council – £1,678,272.73
10. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council – £1,601,960
11. Nottinghamshire County Council – £1,560,735.48
12. Shropshire Council – £1,547,005.45
13. Southwark Council – £1,462,808.33
14. Dudley Council – £1,376,785
15. London Borough of Hounslow – £1,371,808.49
16. Nottingham City Council – £1,364,569
17. Oldham Council – £1,275,772.25
18. South Tyneside Council – £1,265,000
19. Trafford Council Website – £1,060,435
20. Sandwell Council – £1,059,620.88
21. Rochdale Health and Community – £1,051,569
22. Portsmouth City Council – £1,036,540
23. Milton Keynes City Council – £1,029,478.89
24. Central Bedfordshire Council – £1,014,304
25. Southampton City Council – £998,587
26. Barnet London Borough – £989,645
27. Gateshead Council – £915,503.95
28. Cornwall Council – £893,914
29. Sheffield City Council – £876,735
30. London Borough of Bexley – £809,525.37
31. Derbyshire County Council – £720,960
32. Buckinghamshire Council – £713,800
33. Kent County Council – £709,000
34. Peterborough City Council – £699,616
35. Ealing Council – £687,000
36. Bedford Borough Council – £682,316
37. Blackpool Council – £682,094
38. Warwickshire County – £651,007
39. Haringey London Council – £572,000
40. Birmingham City Council – £565,599
41. Darlington Borough Council – £549,101.01
42. North Somerset Council – £525,826.79
43. Medway Council – £520,182.70
44. Cambridgeshire County Council – £500,000
45. Southend-on-Sea City Council – £479,897
46. Redcar and Cleaveland Borough Council – £440,230.17
47. Sunderland City Council – £427,860
48. Middlesborough Council – £408,050
49. Wigan Council – £394,000
50. Coventry City Council – £385,799
51. Halton Council – £371,787
52. East Riding of Yorkshire Council – £368,553.00
53. Sefton Council – £367,125
54. Solihill Metropolitan Borough Council – £340,744.85
55. Thurrock Council – £339,542
56. Westmorland & Furness Council – £298,444
57. London Borough of Sutton – £289,650
58. West Northamptonshire Council – £273,372.32
59. Tameside Metropolitan Council – £266,756
60. Thanet District Council – £260,808.86
61. London Borough of Redbridge – £214,226
62. West Lancashire Borough Council – £213,368
63. Wokingham Borough Council – £204,089
64. London Borough of Hillingdon – £200,000
65. Lancaster City Council – £176,187.25
66. North Lincolnshire Council – £170,000
67. South Kesteven District Council – £159,420.80
68. Cheltenham Borough Council – £146,737
69. Slough Borough Council – £143,939
70. Fylde Council – £133,830
71. Chorley Council – £127,993
72. Canterbury City Council – £127,194.96
73. Maidstone Borough Council – £125,936
74. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council – £107,106.83
75. Torbay Council – £106,208
76. Torridge District Council – £100,656
77. Walsall Council – £100,000
78. Preston City Council – £98,618
79. North East Lincolnshire Councils – £96,050
80. Calderdale Council – £89,000
81. Amber Valley Borough Council (Housing allocation) – £88,184
82. Luton Council – £83,500
83. Bolsover District Council – £74,193.78
84. Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils – £69,900
85. Woking Borough Council – £66,630
86. Chesterfield Borough Council – £66,557.81
87. Rutland County Council – £64,440
88. South Holland District Council – £60,876
89. Bath & North East Somerset Council – £59,216
90. Havant Borough Council – £52,130.08
91. East Devon District Council – £50,313.11
92. Kingston Council – £49,600
93. Exeter City Council – £47,544
94. Derby City Council – £47,040
95. East Hampton District Council – £46,153
96. North East Derbyshire District Council – £44,334.57
97. Westminster City Council – £42,372
98. Telford & Wrekin Co-operative Council – £41,907
99. Rossendale Borough Council – £38,900
100. Oxfordshire County Council – £38,318.67
101. Hartlepool Borough Council – £38,000
102. Cherwell District Council – £36,000
103. South Hams District Council – £34,795
104. Mid Suffolk District Council – £33,354.16
105. Boston Borough Council – £33,269
106. Mid Devon District Council – £32,614.40
107. Wyre Council – £31,488.92
108. North Devon Council – £27,892
109. Gosport Borough Council – £26,591.48
110. West Devon Borough Council – £25,516.49
111. East Suffolk Council – £25,210.33
112. New Forest District Council – £25,050.88
113. Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – £25,050
114. Swale Borough Council – £21,985.41
115. Waverley Borough Council – £16,895
116. Teignbridge District Council – £16,000
117. Barbergh District Council – £15,974.10
118. Warrington Borough Council – £15,229
119. Winchester City Council – £13,077
120. Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council – £11,059
121. Hart District Council – £4,715.17
122. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils – £2,989.56
123. Guilford Borough – £2,500
124. Broxbourne Council – £1,485

Councils that report having no funding left

• Rother District Council
• Hastings Borough Council
• Bradford Council
• Manchester City Council
• Ashford Borough Council
• Wealden District Council
• Wirral Council
• Dover District Council
• Brighton and Hove City Council