In the UK, households can claim up to £300 in free cash – but you’ll have to do it before Easter. The Household Support Fund scheme is set to close on March 31. The scheme is run by councils in England, which have been allocated £742 million to support residents who need help.
You’ll need to meet the criteria to claim the support, which comes in different forms depending on where you live. It is usually offered to people on a low income. On April 1, a new fund, called the Crisis and Resilience Fund, is set to take over from the Household Support Fund.
You will be able to apply for free cash and support even if you already receive benefits.
In many areas, applications for the Household Support Fund have now closed in advance of the new scheme being rolled out.
But, in some places, there are still offers up for grabs if you apply soon, so it’s worth checking your local council’s website. It’s also worth noting that each council tends to have a slightly different offering.
For example, in Doncaster, you can still apply for support via the fund worth up to £300 to go towards food bills, reports The Sun.
How much support you are eligible for depends on how many children live in your home.
Adults living with one dependent child will receive £100, while those living with two will get £200.
The highest reward is worth £300 and available to those who live with three or more dependent children.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will begin at the start of April and it will provide £1bn annually for the next three years.
The new rules say councils can give money to people in financial shock where there is “a sudden, unexpected expense or drop in income”, like a broken boiler, the loss of a job or to prevent people from entering a crisis.
Some councils have been left disappointed as the level of funding is broadly the same as the previous scheme.
A recent survey for the Local Government Association showed most councils in England did not believe the current funding will be sufficient to meet local welfare needs.