Households told £147 cost of living payments to enter bank accounts

Households have been told they might be able to claim special cost of living payments from their local council. Local authorities have released details of their cost of living support schemes over winter, with hundreds of pounds up for grabs for those eligible.

Support will target the poorest households who are struggling to afford basic essentials like food and energy. solihull -council>Solihull Council is the latest authority to announce details of its scheme.

It will be making payments of £147 to support people with energy bills, while fuel vouchers and energy debt support will also be available. Households can check their local council's website for full details of support in their area.

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The money is part of the Household Support Fund given to local authorities by the Government to help those most in need during winter. Solihull Council’s cabinet member for communities, Councillor Wazma Qais, said: "As a council, we’re committed to supporting residents and the most vulnerable households who are struggling to access essentials including water and energy, and with energy prices rising and nights getting colder over the winter months, this latest round of funding will provide vital support.

“Round five funding between April and September saw us support 279 Solihull households directly with energy costs and an additional 154 supported in costs associated with energy such as boiler repairs. A considerable number of requests for support came for food, and we provided over 10,000 food parcels or supermarket vouchers to households in crisis during this time.

“Applications are now open for round six of the fund and we encourage those who need help to apply through the details provided. We will be working with our partners to process new applications in addition to those made from the previous round relating to energy efficiency upgrades, which will help residents to make their homes warmer and reduce their energy bills.”