Get help with fuel, food or furniture
Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund will operate between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023. The fund will provide help to residents who are struggling to afford energy, food and other essential bills.
We will provide a direct award to you if you are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction or pension credit and provide vouchers during the school holidays for children in receipt of free school meals.
A separate application process is available if:
- you require urgent help with fuel or food or help towards the cost of buying furniture or white goods
- you are on a low income but do not qualify for a direct award
- you being supported by an advice agency who will complete an application form on your behalf
Other help available:
- £150 Council Tax energy rebate scheme
- Cost of living payments paid by the Department for Work and Pensions
- £400 energy bills support scheme provided by your energy provider
Help towards energy and cost of living expenses
We will provide a direct award to you if you are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction or certain other benefits and provide vouchers during the school holidays for children in receipt of free school meals. This is in addition to other cost of living payments and help with energy costs announced by the government.
An application form is available if you require urgent help with fuel or food.
Eligibility to receive a direct award
Children eligible to receive free school meals:
- A £70 supermarket voucher will be issued for each qualifying child who attends a school or nursery provision within St Helens to cover the summer holiday period in 2022.
- To qualify, a child must be eligible to receive free school meals or be transitionally protected.
- The voucher will be issued directly by your child's school or nursery provider.
Help towards additional energy and cost of living costs:
- A direct award will be made to households in receipt of Council Tax Reduction (including those that would have been eligible had a Council Tax exemption not been in place) or who are in receipt of pension credit.
- Payment will be made via Post Office voucher which can be cashed at any Post Office.
- Payments will be made during August 2022.
Urgent help with fuel or food
Please complete the following application form or contact us on 01744 676666, if you are in immediate need of help with fuel or food costs.
Apply for immediate help with food or fuel
Other help available:
1. You may be entitled to support provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or Job Centre:
- Short-term benefit advances. If you have made a new benefit claim and are waiting for payment, or have an existing claim where there is a significant change of circumstance that will increase the amount of benefit you receive, you can apply for a short-term benefit advance.
- Applicants in receipt of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker's allowance - telephone 0800 169 0131
- Carer's Allowance - telephone 0800 731 0297
- Pension Credit or State penions - telephone 0800 731 0469
- Universal Credit via your online account.
- Budgeting loans are interest-free loans available to help pay for essential items. Please visit www.gov.uk/budgeting-loans for further information.
- Hardship payments are available if you benefit payment is stopped or reduced due a benefit sanction being applied and you cannot pay essential living costs. Contact the Universal Credit helpline or complete form JSA ESA10JP at your local Job Centre office.
2. If you are seeking support following a disaster and are homeless you should contact our housing team.
3. If you have a designated social worker/support worker, please contact them if there is a serious risk to your health and safety. You can phone our customer services team on 01744 676789 if you need help to contact your social worker.