Households can get free £300 to help with energy costs through government scheme
Struggling households can get a free payment of up to £300 to help with energy bills this winter.
The support is from the government-funded Household Support Fund scheme. First introduced by the former Tory government in 2021, the scheme gives local councils money to provide cost of living support to struggling households. Each council offers its own support, which can only be claimed by people living in that area.
Blackpool Council is providing payments of £200 and £300 to households struggling to cover energy costs. Households can get a payment of £200 if there are one or two people living in the property or a payment of £300 if there are three or more living there. If eligible, the money will be paid directly to your energy provider and will appear as credit on your bill.
According to the council's website, you can apply for the support if you are:
- Over the age of 16 and responsible for paying the electricity/gas bills for the property
- A Blackpool Council resident
- Experiencing financial hardship and do not have "enough resources to meet your immediate short term needs"
- Not received a Household Support fund payment in the last 12 months
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You do not need to be claiming Universal Credit or any other Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits to get this help. You do, however, need to provide proof that you are in financial hardship. Blackpool council says with your application, you will need to provide your most recent full month bank/building society/savings account statements for all accounts for the applicant and all other adults in your household. These statements need to show all of your transactions and not just the balances.
You will also need to submit a copy of your electricity or gas bill that clearly shows your name and address, the name of your supplier, and your account number. If you are on a prepayment meter, you will need to create an online account with your supplier and take a screenshot or photo showing your name, address, name of your supplier, and your pre-pay account number. Blackpool Council says all applications submitted without evidence will be automatically declined.
You can submit an application for support online through Blackpool Council's website. Once you do, your application will be given a reference number. The council says applications may take "several weeks" due to the high number expected. Once it is assessed, you will be contacted and told the next step of the process.
You cannot apply for this scheme if you do not live in Blackpool. 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.
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