Household Support Fund 2025: how to apply for £500 cost of living payments this half-term - application form

• Thousands of households will receive £225 payments from the Household Support Fund in time for February half-term
• The HSF provides financial aid for essentials like food, clothing, and utility bills during the cost-of-living crisis
• Payments help cover additional costs during the school holidays, including childcare and meals
• Eligibility and payment amounts vary by region, with local councils managing the distribution of funds
• For more details on how to apply and check eligibility, refer to your local council’s website

Thousands of households will soon receive £500 payments through the Household Support Fund (HSF), just in time for the February half-term holidays.

The HSF is designed to assist with essential costs such as food, clothing, and utility bills. Support is provided through vouchers and small grants to help alleviate financial pressures during the cost-of-living crisis.

This can be especially helpful during the half-term, when children are home, and parents often need to cover additional costs like childcare and meals typically provided at school.

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Managed by local councils, the amount of payment and eligibility criteria can vary by region. We've compiled the latest HSF schemes with upcoming deadlines - check below for application details.

For information on similar programs in your area, please refer to the details at the end of this article.

Barnsley

Barnsley Council has received £2.3 million from the government for the current Household Support Fund, which will run until March 31, 2025.

In addition, the council offers a Pensioner Winter Support Fund, providing a one-off £200 payment to eligible pensioners.

The council stated: “Where we’ve identified a household that meets the eligibility criteria, we’ve issued an automatic payment. You will receive a letter with full details on how to redeem it. If you haven’t received a letter but meet all eligibility criteria, you can apply for the payment.”

The fund will close on March 31, 2025, or earlier if funds are exhausted.

For more information, head to Barnsley Council’s website

Birmingham

Birmingham City Council is offering £200 cost of living payments through its Hardship Grant scheme. These one-off payments are intended to help residents cover essential costs such as food, energy, and water bills.

Due to high demand, applications were paused in January after a waiting list built up. As a result, applications will remain closed throughout February while the council processes existing requests. But they are expected to reopen in March.

To qualify, applicants must:

• Be a Birmingham resident
• Be experiencing financial hardship, particularly with food and energy costs
• Not have received a £200 grant payment in the past 12 months

For more information, head to Birmingham City Council’s website

Cambridgeshire

Households in Cambridgeshire can receive financial support of up to £110.

The Holiday Voucher Scheme provides supermarket vouchers to households receiving Free School Meals, helping cover food costs during school holidays from October 2024 to March 2025. Each eligible child will receive £15 per week in vouchers.

A £110 financial award per household is also available. The council says that this award can be issued as a lump sum or split into different voucher options:

• PayPoint Cashout Voucher – A code sent to your mobile, redeemable at any PayPoint location.
• Supermarket Voucher – Sent by email and redeemable at Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, or Tesco. Only Asda vouchers can be used online.
• PayPoint Energy Voucher – Sent to your mobile, redeemable at PayPoint locations. This is only available for pre-payment meters requiring a key/fob top-up in-store, except for British Gas customers, who are not eligible.
• BACS Transfer – A direct bank payment, which may take up to three working days to process.

For more information, head to Cambridgeshire County Council’s website

Central Bedfordshire

Central Bedfordshire Council is providing support through the Household Support Fund.

“The funding we’ve received, totaling £1,483,073.82, will help support families until the end of March 2025,” the council said. “We will distribute this funding in several ways, including supermarket vouchers for households and grants to third parties (excluding debt advice provision).”

To qualify, you must live in Central Bedfordshire and be:

• Eligible for and claiming free school meals (including 2-year-old funding for disadvantaged families or Early Years Pupil Premium)
• A care leaver (a young adult aged 18-25 who previously spent time in care before turning 18)

“We will contact anyone eligible for direct support in due course. If your household qualifies, please check the criteria below to find out how you can access support,” the council added.

During the February half-term holidays in 2025, eligible households will receive a £17.50 payment to help cover food costs for one week. Parents and carers will receive a text or email with instructions on selecting a supermarket for the voucher.

If you’re unsure whether your child qualifies for free school meals, check with their school or educational setting.

For more information, head to Central Bedfordshire Council’s website

Doncaster

Struggling households in Doncaster can receive financial support of up to £225.

To qualify, you must be receiving one of the following: Housing Benefit, Local Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit (including the housing element), or means-tested free school meals.

When applying, you’ll need to provide details such as your name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number, and bank account information. The amount awarded depends on your circumstances.

• Households with one or two dependent children will receive £150.
• Those with three or more dependent children will get £225.
• Pensioners receiving Pension Credit will be awarded £50.
• Pension-age individuals not eligible for Pension Credit will receive £150.

The deadline to apply is Friday February 28, 2025, at 5pm, leaving households just three weeks to submit their applications.

For more information, head to the City of Doncaster Council’s website

Dudley

In January, Dudley Council opened applications for £200 cost of living payments. These one-off payments must be applied for by the person responsible for council tax.

The scheme follows the council’s allocation of £2,625,519 in funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Applicants must:

• Live in the Dudley borough
• Have less than £2,000 in savings
• Have a household income below £40,000 (or below £30,000 for single-person households)
• Not have received a previous Household Support Fund (HSF) payment between April 1, 2024, and January 21, 2025

For more information, head to Dudley Council’s website

Kent

Kent County Council has introduced the Pensioners Just Missing Out Scheme, offering £100 to state pensioners who narrowly miss out on qualifying for Winter Fuel Payments.

According to the government’s portal, “In September 2024, the funding period was extended for an additional six months, running from October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. Households can apply for one award during this round of the Household Support Fund.”

Clarifying the intended beneficiaries, it says: “Funding is available to anyone who is vulnerable or struggling to afford essentials. You do not need to be receiving benefits to qualify for help from your local council.”

For more information, head to Kent County Council’s website

Sandwell

Sandwell Council is providing one-off £200 payments to pensioner households in the borough. Unlike some neighbouring councils, no applications are required for these payments.

Instead, vouchers are being automatically issued to nearly 4,000 identified households where state pensioners missed out on the 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment. These vouchers can be redeemed at a Post Office.

Recipients must:

• Have missed out on the Winter Fuel Payment
• Receive Council Tax Reduction but not be claiming Pension Credit

For more information, head to Sandwell Council’s website

Solihull

Solihull Council is offering payments of up to £500 to help households struggling with fuel bills.

But instead of cash or vouchers, this support is provided as debt relief, meaning the funds will be used directly to reduce energy debts, including costs for fuel and water.

To qualify, applicants must:

• Live in Solihull
• Have a household income below £31,000 per year
• Have no household savings (pensioners can have up to £5,000 in savings)
• Have someone in the household with a vulnerability

For more information, head to Solihull Council’s website

Walsall

Walsall Council is providing payments of at least £75 to help households cover bills and essential costs. Eligible households will automatically receive a £75 payment per child, meaning no application is needed.

But other households who do not meet the automatic eligibility criteria can still apply.

To qualify, applicants must:

• Be aged 16 or over
• Live in Walsall
• Be experiencing financial hardship (evidence required via bank statements)
• Be the person responsible for household bills (rent, mortgage, or utility bills)
• Have savings of less than £6,000
• Meet the following income limits:

- Single applicants: Household income must be below £25,000 per year

- Joint applicants: Household income must be below £30,000 per year (Income proof required via payslips)

Households with children receiving Council Tax Reduction as of December 1, 2024, will automatically qualify.

For more information, head to Walsall Council’s website

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton Council is offering financial support through food and energy payments. Households can claim a payment for both categories, with the amount varying based on household size.

• Single households can receive £25 for food and £50 for energy.
• Couple households can receive £40 for food and £60 for energy.

Additionally, households will receive an extra £15 per child for each category.

While the council has not set specific eligibility guidelines, applicants must have the following documents:

• Council Tax reference number
• A copy of a bank statement from the past three months

For more information, head to the City of Wolverhampton Council’s website

How to apply for the HSF in your area

The Government’s website says that those who are in need of help from the Household Support Fund should contact their local council, who will help them access the fund.

To find out if you are eligible to receive assistance from the Household Support Fund in your council area, follow these steps:

• Visit your local council's website: Most councils have information about the Household Support Fund on their official websites, including eligibility criteria, application processes and contact details for further assistance.
• Check eligibility criteria: Eligibility often depends on factors such as income level, receipt of certain benefits (like Council Tax Support or Universal Credit) and specific household circumstances (e.g., having children, being a pensioner or having disabilities).
• Look for application details: Some councils provide automatic payments to eligible residents, while others require an application. Information on how to apply, necessary documentation and deadlines will typically be available on the council's website.
• Contact your council directly: If you have difficulty finding the information online, you can contact your local council's customer service or welfare support team for assistance.

Have you or someone you know applied for the Household Support Fund? We’d love to hear your experiences and any tips you might have for others navigating the process. Drop a comment.