Summer cost of living payments available

Support payments to help with the cost of living will be available in many parts of the UK this summer. Households struggling for money will be able to apply for help from the local council through the Household Support Fund (HSF).

While general cost of living payments from the government have now come to an end, the HSF is one way that people suffering from financial difficulties can still get help. They will be able to make applications to their council this summer after the HSF was extended until September and another round of funding was confirmed.

Local authorities will then decide whether applicants meet the criteria for support. In many cases, successful claimants will have to claim some form of means-tested benefits, but this is not always the case.

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Emergency funds are managed by individual councils in different ways. Some offer cash grants as well as other targeted assistance such as food stamps, council tax discounts and help with household essentials.

Local authorities have already warned that demand for support is likely to be high, particularly in areas such as the West Midlands, where rates of poverty and inequality are high. And that means the money could run out quickly.

Councils are starting to announce details of their funds. People can find out what’s available where they live by searching for the name of their local council and ‘Household Support Fund’.

Dudley Council has warned that there will only be “limited money available” due to the high anticipated demand for support when the application process opens. In an update to residents, they said: “Another application process will be available, please continue to check this page for updates.

“There is a limited amount of money available for this scheme and we often experience a high volume of applications.”