Thousands of hard-up households eligible for £300 free cash to help with surging living costs – how to apply
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THOUSANDS of Brits will be able to claim up to £300 in free cash, thanks to a new government scheme. The cash handout will be used to pay household utility bills, as temperatures plummet and energy costs skyrocket. The Household Support Fund is a national scheme dedicated to providing support for vulnerable households, amid the cost of living crisis.
![[Blackpool beach with the Blackpool Tower and pier.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/newspress-collage-arv03nsic-1736697005094.jpg?1736697021&strip=all&w=960)
Each local authority is allotted a set amount of money from the scheme to pass on to residents. In Blackpool, the fund will be dedicated to help vulnerable households meet immediate bills and payments, including gas and water bills. If an applicant is successful in applying for the scheme, the money will be handed directly to your energy provider and will appear as credit on your bill.
![[Liz Kendall, Minister for Work and Pensions, speaking outside Caxton House.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/newspress-collage-oeat42usn-1736697229073.jpg?1736697244&strip=all&w=960)
Qualifying households with one or two people (including children) will be granted £200 and houses with three or more people will receive £300. To be eligible for the scheme, you must be a Blackpool resident who is over the age of 16 and responsible for the household’s utility bills.
![[Tram on Blackpool Pleasure Beach promenade.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/newspress-collage-ikv03olmb-1736697382369.jpg?1736697399&strip=all&w=960)
You must also be experiencing financial hardship, but you won’t need to be receiving a universal credit payment or any other DWP benefit. When applying, you will need to send a copy of your gas bill which clearly shows your name, address, provider and account number.
![[Woman reading mail in her kitchen.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/newspress-collage-jmtj98k8e-1736698762591.jpg?1736698778&strip=all&w=960)
