Kingston households have until the end of September to apply for a cost-of-living voucher to help with their energy, food and water bills.
Families, pensioners and disabled residents on low incomes who are struggling with essential costs can apply to Kingston Council for help through the household support fund.
The council received £862,867 in extra funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) earlier this year to offer the grant to eligible households from April 1 to September 30. Applications will remain open during this time, or until funds run out.
The council is particularly keen to support residents struggling to pay their energy bills. The fund is also available to help households with their food and water bills, along with other essential costs. In exceptional cases, it can be used to support people with housing costs where existing schemes do not meet their needs. The support is provided through a voucher.
Who is eligible
Applicants must live in Kingston or, if they are homeless or have no recourse to public funds, have appropriate links to the borough. They also must meet one or more of the following eligibility criteria:
- Insufficient funds to access nutritional meals
- Insufficient funds to keep their home warm, electricity or gas on and access water for cooking
- Insufficient funds for essentials such as food, toiletries (sanitary products, soap etc), clothes, blankets, boiler service/repair, and access to equipment including fridges and ovens
- An urgent housing need that can’t be funded by an existing scheme
- A vulnerability or community care need
Council officers, voluntary groups and other professionals will assess needs against these criteria to confirm eligibility. Applicants receiving support from other schemes are not excluded from receiving the grant.
How to apply
Residents can apply for the grant directly using the household support fund form, or a professional can complete the form on their behalf.
For more information, residents can email householdsupportfund@kingston.gov.uk or ring the council on 020 8547 5000 and ask to speak to the Kingston stronger together health improvement team about the household support fund.
Other help available
Families who have already received help from previous rounds of the household support fund are not eligible for further funding, but the council may still be able to offer other support.
Residents can email householdsupportfund@kingston.gov.uk to find out more.
