The City of Doncaster Council is offering cost of living support to people who are on a low-income or claiming certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits
Thousands of Households can claim £225 in free cash to help with the cost of living.
The cost of living payments come from the government’s Household Support Fund scheme. This is a government-funded scheme which gives local councils pots of cash to provide support to people living in those areas. Help offered through the scheme includes free cash payments, energy and supermarket vouchers, and council tax discounts.
The City of Doncaster Council is offering cost of living support to people who are on a low-income or claiming certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits. These include:
- Housing Benefit
- Local Council Tax Reduction
- Universal Credit which includes the housing element
- Means-tested free school meals
The support offered is free cash payments for each different group. Payments of £75 can be claimed by working-age households with no children, £150 can be claimed by households with one or two, and a payment of £225 can be claimed by households with three or more dependent children. For pensioner households, you can claim £50 if you receive or are entitled to Pension Credit and a payment of £150 can be claimed by households who don’t.
Most households that received a payment under the previous Household Support Fund and who still met the eligability criteria were automatically paid and did not need to apply. However, those who have not received it can apply for one through Doncaster Council’s website. Automatic payments were made on December 13 2024. Online applications opened on December 5 and will be closing on February 28 at 5pm – or earlier if the Household Support Fund money runs out.
City of Doncaster Council says the applications can be made by you, your appointee, carer or advocate acting on your behalf. To get granted the support payment, Doncaster Council says you will need to provide full details of your financial situation, so they can take “everything into account” when making its decision.
You cannot apply for this scheme if you do not live in Doncaster. However, your local council will have its own Household Support Scheme you can access. You should keep an eye out for any updates on the schemes on your local authority’s website.
