Households on Universal Credit will be entitled to free cash vouchers this winter to help pay for bills and essentials. The benefit will be distributed after a new round of funding, amounting to £421 million, as part of the government’s Household Support Fund.
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The amount varies between local authorities, with Peterborough City Council offering £200 but many other councils will be distributing similar amounts as the funding continues.
The scheme was originally launched in October of last year and ran for several months but now the government has extended it until March 31, 2023, according to HullLive. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is providing funding to local authorities to administer to the people who need it most.
How to claim the vouchers
In order to apply for help you will need to go through your local council's website and meet its eligibility criteria. You will also need to have applied for or be applying for means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, income support or child tax benefits, as per The Sun.
If however, you are a single person earning less than £25k or a couple with combined earnings of less than £43k then you may still be eligible for the vouchers. The help varies depending on the local authority. For example, in Hull their website states, according HullLive:
Some help from the Household Support Fund is available both to residents in private rented accommodation and in Council housing. This is usually in the form of small-scale help with other immediate costs that are affecting your ability to pay your rent and avoid eviction (for example fuel vouchers).
What can I get?
Some councils are choosing to give out vouchers, though some are simply giving out the benefits as cash payments. HullLive have included a list of things that the grant can go towards:
- support with food
- heating/lighting repairs
- essential items such as sanitary products
- to pay for energy bills such as gas, electricity, oil and water/sewerage bills
- to purchase essential household items like fridges, freezers and ovens
- provide wider household support not linked to energy and water
- housing and homelessness advice
- Discretionary Housing Payments
Whilst local authorities are deciding how to distribute the funding it is not certain exactly how much people will get but in the last round of funding some councils have said households will get up to £500—such as Bromsgrove and Redditch, as per The Sun.
As the winter approaches and energy bills increase, people should be taking advantage of every saving they can during this difficult period.
Sources used:
- The Sun 'Thousands of people on Universal Credit to get up to £200 in vouchers for food and energy bills – how to claim'
- HullLive 'DWP Universal Credit claimants can get hundreds of pounds in winter vouchers - here's how to apply'
