The help will be given through Milton Keynes Household Support Fund and includes free supermarket vouchers, bill discounts and free cash payments
Thousands of Brits will be receiving cost of living support worth over £70 this winter.
The support will be given to low-income residents of Milton Keynes through the Household Support Fund. This scheme is a Government initiative designed to help with the cost of living, with the help being issued through councils. Each council receives funding from the Government and they can spend the money how they like.
Usually, the help is in the form of cash payments, supermarket vouchers, or household bill support. The way you access the help is also down to the council, with some asking residents to apply for support and some providing help automatically.
Milton Keynes Council provides a range of support with one set to be introduced in the coming weeks. Over the school Christmas break, the council will be giving £15 worth of supermarket vouchers to every child who receives free school meals.
Two £15 vouchers will be provided to each child to cover the two weeks of the school break. This help will be given to those eligible automatically. More £15 supermarket vouchers will be given for the half term week in February next year. This means parents will receive £45 worth of vouchers this winter if they have one child.
As part of its Household Support Fund scheme, Milton Keynes Council is also giving those who receive a council tax discount a further £25 off their household bill. The discount will be given automatically and will applied to those who receive a reduction in their Council Tax until March 2024. If residents receive both the supermarket vouchers and the Council Tax discount this winter, they will have received help totalling £70.
Alongside this, Milton Keynes Council will also be providing cash payments to those classed as being in “financial difficulties and struggling to meet the cost of essential items”. However, the amount you receive is dependent on your personal situation. This means you do not know how much you can get until you apply for help.
According to the council’s website, to get support from the Milton Keynes Household Support Fund you will need to be over the age of 16, a resident of Milton Keynes and be struggling to meet immediate and essential needs for themselves or their dependents.
You can make an application for the Milton Keynes Household Support Fund through its website here.
As mentioned earlier, each council is offering their own support, so to know what your local authority is offering you will need to go to their website. The Government’s website has a search tool that lets you find the contact details for your council. Enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is.
