The Government has announced an extension of the Household Support Fund from 1st April 2025 until the end of March 2026 to support those most in need with the cost of living.
Further information on government cost of living assistance can be found at https://www.gov.uk/cost-of-living
The expectation is that the fund should be used to support households in the most need with assistance towards daily living essentials and utility costs.
Please read below for Frequently Asked Questions and How to Apply.
Q) Will I be entitled to an assistance payment?
A) If you are a householder and receive Council Tax Support you will be entitled to a payment.
Q) I don’t receive Council Tax Support but I am struggling financially can I apply?
A) Yes, you may be entitled to discretionary assistance if you are a householder and have a low household income and you are financially struggling with the cost of living.
Q) What does householder mean
A) This means that you are a liable council tax payer in respect of a household.
Q) I live with friends and/or family can I claim
A) No, you can’t as we do not have enough funding for this and the assistance is intended to help residents responsible for their own households and paying the bills.
Q) Some other local authorities pay vouchers and ask schools to distribute these, does Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council do the same?
a) No, we don’t do this. We make set rate payments to bank accounts. Most families that receive free school meals will qualify for a payment.
Q) How much will I receive?
A) If you are household without children receiving Council Tax Support you will receive a set rate payment of £(to be determined).
If you have one or more dependent children in your household for whom you are responsible you will receive £(to be determined).
If you don’t receive Council Tax Support and are entitled to discretionary assistance the amount that you will receive £(to be determined).
Q) Can I claim a set rate payment and a Discretionary Payment as well?
A) No. Set Rate Payments will be made to households in receipt of Council Tax Support and Discretionary Payments will be made to low-income households that are not entitled to Council Tax support.
Q) If I qualify for a Discretionary Payment can I claim it more than once?
A) No. A household will only be able to claim once during the period April 2025 – March 2026.
Q) When will the assistance be paid?
A) In 2025 there will be two payments to eligible claimants. The first will be in July ahead of school summer holidays and the second will be in December. Further details are below.
| where a claim has been made before 11 Jul 2025 | |||
| No children Payment amount | £ (to be determined ) | Payment date | 18-Jul-25 |
| Household with children Payment amount | £ (to be determined) | Payment date | 18-Jul-25 |
| No children Payment amount | £ (to be determined ) | Payment date | 19-Dec-25 |
| Household with children Payment amount | £ (to be determined) | Payment date | 19-Dec-25 |
|
For claims made after 11 Jul 2025 |
|||
| No children Payment amount | £ (to be determined) | Payment date | 19-Dec-25 |
| Household with children Payment amount | £ (to be determined) | Payment date | 19-Dec-25 |
Q) What will the payment look like in my bank account?
A) If you get a set rate payment the payment reference will show up on your bank statement with a reference beginning with HHSUP. If you get a discretionary payment the reference will start with DHSAF
Q) How do I apply
A) If you are receiving Council Tax support and have received a Household Support Fund payment in December 2024 or March 2025 you do not need to re-apply. If you have not made a claim previously you will need to as we require your bank details to make a payment. Please click the link below:
If you are not entitled to Council Tax Support and you are a low income household and cannot afford to pay your bills or pay for food, you can apply for a discretionary payment using the link below.
Discretionary payments must be re-applied for and are not automatically paid. This is because we need to assess entitlement based on up-to-date circumstances and information.
**Please note that the above claim links will not be active until 1st May 2025
Q) I want to talk to someone about this assistance scheme
A) We have a small team administering the assistance and limited resources to deal with enquiries.
We hope that we have provided enough information on this page to avoid you needing to contact us and we will update it regularly with new information.
If you have an urgent enquiry regarding the scheme you can contact us by email: HSF@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk
