Struggling households to get one-off payment this December

Nottinghamshire County Council
By Lauren Monaghan, Junior Local Democracy Reporter

Nottinghamshire residents in need of support with the cost of living could get a one-off payment in December following the Government’s extension of funding.

The Household Support Fund was first launched by the Government in October 2021 and has been allocated through local councils in five phases.

The money is given to local authorities to help residents who are in “immediate need” to cover the costs of essentials such as water bills and food.

Phase five of the funding ran until the end of September this year, where Nottinghamshire County Council was given £5,646,450.

Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the funding to local authorities would be extended to a sixth phase, with the County Council again being given £5,646,450, according to council documents published on Monday (October 7).

This money will be used up until the end of March 2025.

Each eligible household is due to get a single support payment during December this year, as with previous phases of the fund.

Households who get benefits-related free school meals and those who receive, or are eligible for, pension credit are deemed as “in immediate need to be supported”.

On the back of the Household Support Fund, people within the County Council, district and borough councils and other professional bodies formed a group that is able to request support on other people’s behalf.

Other households, particularly ones who do not qualify for other government support, will be considered for funding if applications are made by this group.

The council use databases of households who received support in the previous phases and information from the Department for Work and Pensions to help allocate the new money.

Around £4.5 million of the funding will help households with essential costs and £400,000 will be used to provide struggling people with other necessities like cookers and washing machines.

Districts and borough councils will be given £250,000 to help housing costs, rent shortfall, rent deposits and rent in advance.

Citizens Advice will be allocated £75,000 of the funding for their advice services.

The extension of the funding comes just over two months after the Government said it would withdraw winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners in England and Wales, including 178,000 in Nottinghamshire.