THOUSANDS of Brits will be able to claim up to £300 in free cash, thanks to a new government scheme.
The cash handout will be used to pay household utility bills, as temperatures plummet and energy costs skyrocket.
The Household Support Fund is a national scheme dedicated to providing support for vulnerable households, amid the cost of living crisis.
Each local authority is allotted a set amount of money from the scheme to pass on to residents.
In Blackpool, the fund will be dedicated to help vulnerable households meet immediate bills and payments, including gas and water bills.
If an applicant is successful in applying for the scheme, the money will be handed directly to your energy provider and will appear as credit on your bill.
Qualifying households with one or two people (including children) will be granted £200 and houses with three or more people will receive £300.
To be eligible for the scheme, you must be a Blackpool resident who is over the age of 16 and responsible for the household’s utility bills.
You must also be experiencing financial hardship, but you won’t need to be receiving a universal credit payment or any other DWP benefit.
When applying, you will need to send a copy of your gas bill which clearly shows your name, address, provider and account number.
You will also need to provide your most recent bank statement which shows all of your recent transactions.
Since the scheme is expected to have a high volume of applications, it may take several weeks for your own application to be assessed.
Blackpool Council have also warned that applications submitted without evidence will automatically be rejected.
It is also worth bearing in mind that there is a cut-off date for the scheme.
Applications filed after March 31, 2025, will not be processed so you need to apply before that date.
How to apply for the Household Support Fund in Blackpool
The Household Support Fund allows Blackpool residents to claim up to £300 in free cash, to help with household bills.
Here’s everything you need to know about applying:
You must be:
- Over the age of 16 and responsible for your household bills
- A Blackpool resident
- Experiencing financial hardship
- A household of two or more people
What you’ll need:
- Your most recent bank statement, including recent transactions
- A copy of your gas bill which clearly shows your name, address, provider and account number
How to access the scheme:
- When you provide Blackpool Council with the information listed above, you will be given a unique authorisation number.
- Any further communication will require you to have that number on hand.
- The payment will be added onto your utilities bill as credit.
Blackpool Council has said applicants experiencing difficulty in applying should email the following address: [email protected]
