Thousands of households have days left to apply for free cash payments worth £300

THOUSANDS of households person conscionable days near to assertion a currency outgo worthy £300, designed to assistance with rising wintertime substance costs.

Households volition person to enactment accelerated if they haven't already applied, arsenic the exertion deadline is next week, January 26.

The payments are portion of the Household Support Fund, a government-backed strategy designed to assistance low-income families, pensioners, carers, and different susceptible groups screen the rising cost of living.

Shropshire Council has been fixed £2.1million to administer arsenic portion of this initiative, which runs until March 30, 2025.

The Household Support Fund was archetypal introduced by the authorities successful 2021 and has since been extended, with the latest circular covering October 1, 2024, to March 30, 2025.

The money is simply a lifeline for households struggling with indispensable costs, specified arsenic vigor and h2o bills, food, and different necessities.

It besides offers enactment successful definite peculiar cases for lodging costs, though owe payments are excluded.

Each section assembly is liable for distributing the fund, meaning the benignant of enactment and the eligibility criteria alteration depending connected wherever you live.

Some councils connection nonstop currency payments, portion others supply vouchers to assistance with essentials.

Shropshire Council has been moving with spouse organisations to guarantee the money reaches those astir successful need, including families, attraction leavers, disabled people, single-person households, and those facing unexpected fiscal shocks.

The £300 is disposable to pensioner households successful Shropshire who are receiving council tax enactment and/or lodging payment but are not successful receipt of pension credit.

Eligible households should person already received a missive from the council’s benefits team, which includes a unsocial identifier codification needed to implicit the application.

If you deliberation you suffice but haven’t received a letter, it’s important to interaction the assembly immediately.

How to apply

The deadline to use is astir the corner, truthful you'll person to enactment fast.

To apply, sojourn the Shropshire Council website and capable successful the exertion signifier earlier the January 26 deadline.

Make definite you person your nationalist insurance fig and your unsocial identifier codification from the missive to manus erstwhile submitting your application.

While the strategy officially runs until the extremity of March, backing is limited, and erstwhile it’s gone, determination won’t beryllium immoderate much enactment available.

If you’re eligible, don’t delay.

Apply present to guarantee you don’t miss retired connected the escaped currency outgo that could marque a large quality this winter.

What if one don't unrecorded successful Shropshire?

You don't person to unrecorded successful Shropshire to get assistance from the Household Support Fund.

You tin find what assembly country you autumn nether by utilizing the Government's assembly locator instrumentality connected its website.

The assistance you tin get varies, depending connected who your section assembly is, arsenic good arsenic your idiosyncratic situation.

You whitethorn beryllium capable to person escaped currency oregon vouchers to screen the outgo of heating your location oregon the play nutrient shop.

For those surviving successful areas wherever nary nonstop applications are required, councils often scope retired to eligible residents automatically.

If you haven’t heard from your assembly but deliberation you mightiness suffice for help, interaction them straight to debar missing out.

This enactment comes arsenic the cost-of-living situation continues to enactment unit connected millions of households, with energy costs and nutrient prices remaining precocious contempt authorities interventions.

The HSF offers a captious lifeline to those successful need, but lone if they enactment successful clip to unafraid the assistance connected offer.

OTHER HELP THIS WINTER

If you're struggling to screen the outgo of nutrient and are connected benefits, you could beryllium capable to person assistance via the Healthy Start scheme.

Those eligible get a paper which gets topped up with escaped currency that tin beryllium spent connected nutrient and different essentials astatine definite UK shops.

You tin get the paper topped up by arsenic overmuch arsenic £442 a year, depending connected your circumstances.

Those who are struggling with energy bills could get a assistance from their vigor firm, if they're falling down connected payments.

British Gas and Octopus Energy both person schemes that connection to wage you non-repayable grants.

Other vigor companies are handing retired freebies similar electrical blankets and aerial fryers, too, including Octopus Energy and EDF.

It's worthy checking if you tin get your council taxation measure reduced oregon adjacent wiped completely if you're connected a debased income oregon benefits too.

For example, azygous idiosyncratic households tin get a 25% discount portion pensioners connected the Guarantee Credit portion of Pension Credit can get up to 100% off.

Check if you suffice for benefits - billions of pounds' worthy is going unclaimed, according to Policy successful Practice.

There are 3 large escaped calculators you tin usage to spot what you mightiness beryllium entitled to:

• Policy successful Practice amended disconnected calculator
• entitledto benefits calculator
• Turn2us benefits calculator

Do you person a wealth occupation that needs sorting? Get successful interaction by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you tin articulation our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook radical to stock your tips and stories