Household Support Fund

Eligibility

If you're getting one of these benefits you may be eligible for support:

• Council Tax Reduction
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

What you'll get

If your application is approved, you'll get a voucher for:

• £35 if you're single
• £45 if you're a couple

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

Eligibility

This payment is open to people with or without children, who have not reached State Pension age.

To be eligible, you must:

1. Have an income (before tax) of:

• £30,000 or less if you're single
• £50,000 or less if you're a couple

2. Have less than £6,000 in savings

3. Not be getting any of these benefits:

• Council Tax Reduction
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

What you'll get

How much you get will depend on who's in your household.

If you're single, you'll get a voucher for £35.

If you're a couple, you'll get a voucher for £45.

If there are children in your household, you'll get a voucher for £60 per child rather than the amounts above. This is the same whether you're single or a couple.

We can apply some, or all, of the payment to your Council Tax account. This will mean you have less to pay, or it can reduce the amount of arrears (debt) you have. This can help free up money to spend on other things like energy bills or food. We'll discuss this with you once you've applied.

Apply

As well as filling in the application form, you'll also need to provide your most recent bank statement and payslips as evidence. We'll contact you and let you know how to do this once we've received your application.

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

Households with children who meet the free school meals eligibility criteria will get a voucher for £60 per child. We'll send vouchers automatically, based on schools' records.

We hope to send the vouchers in December, but this depends on receiving information about eligible children from schools. We'll update these dates closer to the time.

You can also apply if your child is getting income-related free school meals and:

• is under 5, if another child in the household is eligible for free school meals
• goes to a school outside of Middlesbrough, but lives in Middlesbrough

You can also apply if your child is not eligible for income-related free school meals, but your household gets one of these benefits:

• Council Tax Reduction
• Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

We're providing financial support to pensioners, including those who may be missing out on the Winter Fuel Payment. The following support is available:

Pensioners getting Council Tax Reduction who are not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

You may be eligible for the Household Support Fund if you're:

• of State Pension age
• getting Council Tax Reduction
• not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

What you'll get:

How much you get will depend on the year you were born.

If you or your partner were born before 23 September 1944, you'll get £200.

If you or your partner were born between 23 September 1944 and 22 September 1958, you'll get £150.

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

Pensioners getting Attendance Allowance who are not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

You may be eligible for the Household Support Fund if you're:

• of State Pension age
• getting Attendance Allowance
• not eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

What you'll get:

£100 per household

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

Pensioners not getting benefits

You may be eligible for the Household Support Fund if you:

• are of State Pension age
• are not getting Pension Credit, Universal Credit, or any other benefits which would make you eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment
• have a household income (before tax) of:
• £20,000 or less if you're single
• £26,000 or less if you're a couple

What you'll get:

£100 per household

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.

Pensioners getting Council Tax Reduction and Pension Credit Guaranteed Credit who are getting the Winter Fuel Payment

You may be eligible for the Household Support Fund if you're:

• of State Pension age
• getting Council Tax Reduction
• getting Pension Credit Guaranteed Credit and therefore eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment

What you'll get:

If your application is approved, you'll get a voucher for:

• £35 if you're single
• £45 if you're a couple

Apply

It can take up to 21 working days for us to process applications. Please do not call us during that time, as it slows down how quickly we can look at applications.