DWP hands £500 cost of living payments to UK households

UK households struggling to afford energy bills this winter are being handed cost of living payments of up to £500.

The cash is available as part of the government’s Household Support Fund which is shared to local councils across the UK by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The scheme was extended for the sixth time in October, creating a funding pot worth £421 million to be distributed across the country to help households afford essentials over the winter period.

The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2025, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so there may be different eligibility criteria depending on where you live.

It means that the cost of living support available will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country.

The DWP says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.

For example, households in Leicestershire have been able to apply for support of up to £300 per household in the form of vouchers to help afford gas, electricity and food, residents in Leeds in receipt of Council Tax Support can get a payment of £40, and some pensioner households can get £150, and in Rotherham, people struggling with living costs are being given payments of up to £250.

Solihull Council has been awarded £1.4 million from the Household Support Fund and is making this funding available to support residents with energy costs, water bills, food and wider essentials.

Eligible households can get fuel vouchers of up to £147 per household, or fuel debt relief of up to £500 per household if they’re unable to pay their electricity, gas or water bill.

Other support includes food parcels, energy efficiency advice, central heating servicing and repairs, essential white goods, and clothes and blankets to help keep warm.

Solihull Council said: “Solihull Council is making some of this funding available to support residents with energy costs, water bills, food and wider essentials, working in partnership with local food banks, energy advice charity Act on Energy and Age UK Solihull.

“Eligible households could receive fuel vouchers of up to £147 and fuel debt relief of up to £500 through Act on Energy, payments of up to £147 to help towards their energy costs through Solihull Council, while pensioners could receive fuel debt relief of up to £500 and £200-£300 Winter Fuel Card through Age UK Solihull.”

To be eligible for support you must:

• live in Solihull

• have a combined annual household income of under £31,000

• have no household savings (pensioners can have up to £5,000 in savings per pensioner)

• have someone living in the household with a vulnerability

• be in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits which include State Pension, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Universal Credit, Pension credit guarantee, Working Tax credit, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.

You can apply for support through Act on Energy by calling 0800 988 2881 or emailing [email protected]. For support through Age UK Solihull you can call 0121 709 7590 or email [email protected]. Applications for the scheme will reopen at the beginning of January.