Households can get a free cash payment of £300 to help with the cost of living this month. Shropshire Council is offering a free cash payment of £300 to households struggling with the cost of living this month.
The money comes from the Household Support Fund, a government-funded scheme that provides local councils with funds to assist residents who are behind on bills or have low incomes. There are schemes across the country – and people should use the government website here to check up on what’s available in their areas.
Each council offers different types of support, which can range from cash payments to discounts on bills and vouchers for energy or supermarkets. Shropshire Council received £2.1 million from the government and will provide cost of living payments worth £300 to low-income pensioner households and £100 payments to care leavers.
To qualify, pensioner households must be receiving council tax support and/or Housing Benefit but not Pension Credit. All eligible households have been sent a letter with application details.
Applications can be made online via the Shropshire Council’s website using their National Insurance number and the unique identifier code provided in the letter. If you haven’t received a letter but believe you’re eligible, you should contact Shropshire Council directly.
If households wish to avail of the support, they must act swiftly. The cut-off date to claim the £300 is January 26, reports the Mirror.
Beyond this date, applications for assistance will be permanently closed. The scheme, first introduced by the Tory government in October 2021, has seen multiple extensions, the latest from the current Labour government, which provided an additional £421million to councils.
This scheme is not available to those residing outside of Shropshire. However, your local council should have its own Household Support Scheme that you can utilise.
Keep a lookout for any updates on these schemes on your local authority’s website.