The help comes from the Household Support Fund, which is a government-funded scheme – run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – that has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area
Households can claim £110 worth of cost of living support, and they could get the free help next month.
The help comes from the Household Support Fund, which is a government-funded scheme – run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – that has given local councils pots of cash to support struggling households in their area. Each authority decides how it wants to spend the money, and help can range from free cash payments to supermarket vouchers.
Cambridgeshire Council is offering support worth £110 per household, which can be paid in one lump sum to you or split into your choice of different vouchers. This includes a PayPoint Cashcout voucher, Paypoint Energy Voucher, and a supermarket voucher which can be used supermarkets chains including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco.
According to the council’s website, the cash payment will be delivered by BACS Transfer and sent directly to your bank account. The payment can take up to three working days. You’ll give the council your bank account details during the application process.
To be eligible for the support, you will need to live in Cambridgeshire, have less than £16,000 in savings and investments, and have the following income levels:
Single adult:
- No children – £24,876
- One child – £30,465
- Two children – £37,377
- Three or more children – £48,735
Couple/Joint application:
- No children – £34,494
- One child – £36,123
- Two children – £42,418
- Three or more children – £54,572
Cambridgeshire Council says if you live with a spouse or partner, you can only make one joint application – even if your partner is not applying. This is because your eligibility will also depend on your partner’s income as well as your own. The Household Support Fund is open to everyone, although Cambridgeshire Council says it will prioritise households who are disabled with increased utility bills due to usage of equipment or transport costs, claiming Housing Benefits, and those entitled to – but not claiming certain benefits.
You can apply for the support online through the council’s website, and once you’ve applied, it currently takes around four weeks to process it and review the information. If you meet the criteria, you will be called and told more about how you will receive your support.
The calls will display as “No Caller ID”, and the council will attempt to contact you three times. If unsuccessful, they will then email you, and if you do not respond to this, then your application will be closed. Cambridgeshire Council says every applicant will receive a phone call regarding their application and will have an opportunity for wider support. It added: “Each case will be treated with the strictest confidence and discretion and processed fairly and equitably.”
You are not able to claim this support if you do not live in Cambridgeshire. However, your local council may still be offering its own Household Support Fund scheme. The scheme is due to end on March 31, 2025, after the Labour government extended it last year with an extra £421million in funding. If you’re not a Cambridgeshire resident, it is worth checking your local council’s website to see what help it could potentially offer you before the scheme closes.
