Household Support Fund
We've now allocated the current Household Support Fund that we were awarded. The online application route has closed.
Find out about and apply for support that's available to help with the cost of living.
On 19 March 2025, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that the Household Support Fund would be extended for a further 12 months, from 1 April 2025 to the 31 March 2026.
As has been done for previous schemes, the fund will be made available to support those households most in need.
The Household Support Fund (DWP) is available to households who are in financial crisis and have energy debts.
The grant is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, UK Government and administered by us.
Demand for support is high, but you should apply if you are facing significant hardship.
We will need to ask for some information about your household and your financial situation.
Payments will be made to help households in immediate crisis - for example, those unable to buy food, pay energy bills or buy other essentials. Payments are to help you get what you need while you look for support (such as advice on benefits and debt) from other organisations. We will put you in contact with those services if you need them.
If you are on a low income or have no access to other financial support and are struggling to pay your bills, you should make an application.
We welcome one application per household. You will be asked questions about your finances, including your income and savings, and you may need to provide proof to support your answers.
Ways to Welfare is a referral-only service for residents struggling with financial hardship.
The scheme helps with costs towards:
To apply, you need a referral from us, or a charity or an agency, like Age UK, DWP, and Citizen's Advice.
If your household has received help from the DWP Household Support Fund, you may still qualify for Ways to Welfare, if a support agency is helping you.
We are using this funding in a number of ways to provide support including:
We don't need your bank details and never ask for them over the telephone.
If you get calls from people asking for your bank details and claiming to be us, be careful and: