Families given free slow cookers and cash payments to help with rising bills

14 November 2023 , 12:46

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The help is awarded by Swindon Borough Council (Image: InYourArea)

Hundreds of families have been given free slow cookers and cash payments to help with the rising cost of bills.

Swindon Borough Council has awarded 426 slow cookers, 85 health grills and 24 kettles to struggling families, as part of the Household Support Fund. A council spokesperson said: "These were purchased using a portion of the Household Support Fund, which is money given to us by the Government to help households with the cost of food, energy and wider essentials.”

The council has also handed out one-off cash payments to hundreds of homes. The spokesperson added: "This year, 83 residents have also been given a payment from a pot of £13,100 to help them with essentials."

The Household Support Fund is a pot of money launched in October 2021, to help with the cost of living crisis. The central Government has made more than £2billion available, with the support delivered through local councils.

Each council gets to decide how the money is spent, and who gets the help - this means many families face a postcode lottery when it comes to what support is available. It is typically families on low incomes or benefits that are entitled to the help and you’ll normally be given support with food, energy, or other household bills. For example, Leeds City Council is giving eligible residents one-off payments of £75 or £100.

Even the Tooth Fairy is feeling the cost of living crunch with payments down 10%

Durham County Council is handing out two payments of £75 to eligible young people in education establishments in receipt of free school meals. Pensioners who are in receipt of Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit will receive £120 from Halton Borough Council.

Enter your postcode by using this link to see who your local authority is. Alternatively, you should be sent council tax letters yearly that state who you council is. Each council website should have a dedicated page set up with details of its Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund is set to run until March 31, 2024.

If you're struggling, it is worth doing a ten-minute benefit check to see if you're entitled to any extra help. You should first use one of these following free benefit calculators to check what you could be entitled to:

• Policy in Practice benefits calculator
• entitledto benefits calculator
• Turn2us benefits calculator

Levi Winchester