UK households eligible for new cost of living support worth up to £500

UK households could get up to £500 in help. The money is being distributed by Worcestershire County Council as part of the scheme.

This scheme sees local council awarded a set amount of funding, which they can then distribute in the form of cash grants or vouchers to struggling residents.

It is up to each local authority to decide what support it offers, and who is eligible for help. If you're a resident of Malvern, Worcester, Wychavon, Bromsgrove, Redditch or Wyre Forest, you may be entitled to up to £500 in energy help.

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There is up to £500 available for homes with children under 18 or full-time students under 21, or up to £300 for adult-only households aged 18–66. Pensioner households can also get up to £300.

The money can be paid straight to your energy provider, or you may be offered Post Office vouchers. In order to receive this help, you must have an overall household income of £24,570 if you're single and with no children, or £31,000 or less a year for all other households, excluding the following non-means tested benefits:

• Armed Forces Guaranteed Income Payments
• Armed Forces Independence Payments & Mobility Supplements
• Disability Living Allowance – Mobility Component – Higher & Lower rates
• Personal Independence Payment – Mobility Component – Enhanced & Standard rates
• Universal Credit – Child element – Disabled child – High & Low rates
• Universal Credit – Childcare element
• War disablement Pension

You must also have no household savings, with the exception of if you're over state pension age, in which case you can have £5,000 in savings. You or someone else in your household must also:

• Have a long-term diagnosed health condition or registered disabled
• Be of state pension age
• Have young children of pre-school age (four years old or under)
• In receipt of one of these benefits: Attendance Allowance, Carers Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Health Allowance (included within your Universal Credit breakdown)
• Be receiving support from services such as food banks, Citizens Advice, Age UK, mental health or housing support, or your GP social prescribing team

Worcestershire County Council can also help with repairing or replacing broken boilers, installing first-time heating systems and servicing and upgrading smart heating controls.

You can apply for the support by emailing evidence of your situation to whsf7@actonenergy.org.uk, or by posting paper evidence to: Act on Energy, Unit 2, Lauriston Business Park, Salford Priors, Warwickshire, WR11 8SN.

If you're not covered by Worcestershire County Council, it is worth checking what support your local council can offer you. For example, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council is giving out vouchers to help with energy or food costs worth £300.

This is split into two £150 vouchers. In order to be eligible, you must be over the age of 16 and living independently of parents or carers and have no money to cover essential bills.