Leeds was allocated a total of £7.09million to spend between April 1 and September 30 from the Household Support Fund (HSF).

1

The HSF offers help to the most hard-up households and has been extended several times since it was introduced by Government in 2021.

Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the support available varies across the country.

Now, A Leeds City Council report said £2.7million would be spent on cash payments to more than 62,500 households in receipt of Council Tax Support (CTS).

The award will be based on information held on the Council Tax Support claim.

Those with children would receive a £100 payment.

Meanwhile, pensioners and working-age adults without children will be awarded £25.

These payments will be made throughout July 2024.

Eligible households will receive letters containing a barcode which can be taken to the Post Office, along with ID, to redeem the cash.

The report said: “The area of highest spend will be through the Council Tax Support related scheme.

“This will ensure that households on some of the lowest incomes in the city receive support directly, without the requirement for an application process.”

The second greatest HSF allocation was £1.7m for charities in the city including the Leeds Food Aid Network, Voluntary Action Leeds, Forum Central and Fareshare.

Another allocation of £200,000 will go to the city’s Local Welfare Support scheme.

Leeds City Council warns the funding is strictly for those struggling.

Evidence, like proof of income, may be required, while the council may ever send a worker out to homes to assess that household’s needs.

What is the Household Support Fund?

The Household Support Fund (HSF) was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times, to September 2024.

The latest round of funding is worth £421million to councils in England.

Who qualifies and the level of support given is a postcode lottery, as each local authority can set its own criteria for distributing the funds.

However, if you have a limited amount of money or savings in the bank, are classed as vulnerable or are on benefits, you will likely qualify for help.

What support is available

The support provided varies from council to council, so its worth checking the schemes your local council has in place to make sure you receive all the assistance available.

For example, in Hertfordshire funds have also been made available to support households on low incomes facing immediate financial crisis, provide help with energy costs and support food banks.

You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government’s council locator tool on its website.

You don’t need to worry about additional support impacting existing benefits, as these will be unaffected by payments from the HSF.

And, you do not need necessarily need to be in receipt of benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.

Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.

How do you apply?

To get the help, you’ll need to check with your council – as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.

Information on how to apply for the funding should be published on your council’s website.

Each council will have a different application process.

Many councils won’t actually require you to apply for the help and will contact you about it, or issue vouchers via email or your child’s school.

As well as supermarket vouchers, you could qualify for electronic energy cards or e-vouchers to help with water bills.

If there’s no information on your council’s website, then it’s best to ring them up and ask for more information.