There is just one day left for households to claim a one-off payment worth up to £225. The money is being distributed by City of Doncaster Council as part of the Household Support Fund scheme, which is funded by the by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The type of help that can be offered through the scheme, and who exactly is eligible, varies between councils.
You may be awarded cash payments that don't need to be paid back, or vouchers for food or energy. It is normally low income or pensioner households that are awarded the help, or those who have children. If you're a City of Doncaster Council resident, you will be eligible for a payment if you're in receipt of one of the following:.
If you're under state pension age, you will be awarded £75 payment if you live in a household without a child, while £150 will be given to households with one or two dependent children, and £225 to households with three or more dependent children. Pensioner households will get £50 if they claim or are entitled to Pension Credit, or £150 payment if they are not receiving and not entitled to Pension Credit. Most households that received a payment under the previous Household Support Fund and who still meet the above criteria should have been paid automatically in December 2024.
But if you have never received support through the Household Support Fund, you may need to apply. The online application will close on February 28, 2025 at 5pm. You can apply on the doncaster.gov.uk website by providing your name, date of birth, address, National Insurance number, contact details and your bank details.
If you're not a Doncaster resident, check your local council website to see what help it could potentially offer you. For example, people living in Solihull can get free help worth £500 to pay off water and energy debts. You need to have a combined annual household income of under £31,000, have no household savings, except for if you're a pensioner, then you can have up to £5,000 in savings. You must have someone living in the household with a vulnerability and be in receipt of a qualifying benefit.
Rotherham residents can get £250 support this winter. To qualify, you must have no more than £150 remaining each month after covering essential expenses like food, rent or mortgage, and utility bills. The funding is not means-tested but only one application can be made per household.
