Thousands of households can get a £250 cost of living payment right before Christmas this year.
The support comes through the government-funded Household Support Fund Scheme. This scheme provides local councils with pots of cash, which they can use to provide cost of living help to people living in that area. Each local authority offers different help, and you can only claim support from your local council.
People living in Rotherham are able to claim the £250 support this winter as the help is being provided by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. To qualify, you must have no more than £150 remaining each month after covering essential expenses like food, rent or mortgage, and utility bills.
The funding is not means-tested so you do not need to be on benefits to apply. According to Rotherham Coucils' website, people of any age can claim the help. To apply, you will need to provide basic financial information, which can include things such as a recent bank statement, your latest energy bill, and an estimate of your monthly income and expenditures.
Only one application can be made per household, and you can apply through the council's website. To help residents through this process, Rotherham Council has uploaded a video to YouTube explaining how to fill out the financial assistance application form.
Rotherham Council says you can reapply under the new scheme conditions if you have applied for support before. Alongside this, the council is also offering a range of other support under its Household Support Fund scheme. This includes council tax top-up payments for eligible residents, and free school meals for school-aged children during the winter school holidays. You can find out all the help being provided this year on its website.
Applications for this year's Household Support Fund scheme will be processed from today in the order they are being received. Once approved, the council aims to make the £250 within 30 working days. Rotherham Council says you should try to answer every question as "fully as you can" as it helps them process the application quicker and, in turn, pay you faster. If you apply early, you could potentially have the payment by Christmas.
Rotherham Council’s leader, Councillor Chris Read, said: “We don’t want anyone to be worrying about turning off the heating this winter because they can’t afford their bill. So we’ve committed more than a million pounds of Household Support Fund this Winter to make more crisis payments available to more residents than ever before.
"Our local team are also on hand to support applicants who might also be eligible for Pension Credit, to make it as easy as possible for people to get the money they’re entitled to. Whatever your age, if you just aren’t able to keep up with your gas or electricity bills this Winter, please do get in touch and see if our crisis scheme can help you.”
You cannot apply for this scheme if you do not live in Rotherham. However, your local council will have its own Household Support Scheme you can access. You should keep an eye out for any updates on the schemes on your local authority's website.