Thousands of households will receive £250 in new cost of living help later this year. City of York Council is distributing the help as part of the latest round of the Household Support Fund scheme.
The Household Support Fund is a pot of cash that is awarded to local councils by the central Government. It is down to each council to decide what support it offers – but normally they provide one-off payments, vouchers and help with bills.
City of York Council has two different sets of eligibility criteria that residents may fit into for its version of the Household Support Fund. It has automatically identified people who are receiving different forms of a council tax discount, and these people will receive two payments.
WHATSAPP GROUP: Get money news and top deals straight to your phone by joining our Money WhatsApp group here. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
NEWSLETTER: Or sign up to the Mirror’s Money newsletter here for all the best advice and shopping deals straight to your inbox.
The first payment will be £150 credited to your council tax account, as a direct discount off your bill. The second payment is a direct bank transfer worth £100. The council will write to customers with instructions on how to claim this later in 2025. You won’t need to apply for this part of the support.
There is also a discretionary scheme, for people who are not identified by the council as receiving a council tax discount. For this, you would need to apply to the council and show that you’re in need of financial assistance to help with the rising living costs. The type of people who could be entitled to help include, but are not limited to:
You can only apply for either the direct payment, or the discretionary scheme – you won’t receive help from both parts of its Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund has been extended until March 31, 2026.
If you’re not a resident of York, it is worth contacting your local council to find out what help is available. For example, Wakefield Council has decided to offer supermarket vouchers worth up to £195 to households who are in receipt of Council Tax Support.
If you live in a household with someone of pension age, but you won’t receive the Winter Fuel Payment this year, then you will get £195 worth of vouchers. These will be split into two instalments, starting with a £70 voucher in June, then a £125 voucher in November.
If you’re in a pensioner household and you will get the Winter Fuel Payment this year, you will get £140 of vouchers. You will get £70 in June, then £70 again in November. If you’re a family who is claiming Council Tax Support, you should have received a £40 voucher earlier this month.
The council will then pay a £50 voucher in July, and another £50 in December. All other households in receipt of Council Tax Support will get a £70 voucher in July, then another £70 in December.
For example, Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is handing out £150 cost of living payments to residents who are over 18 and facing financial hardship. The council is encouraging people to contact Citizens Advice East Berkshire if you think you may be eligible by calling 0808 278 7914.
You can also attend their drop-in service on Marlow Road, Maidenhead between 10am and midday on Mondays and Wednesdays. Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council is also providing food vouchers to families who are eligible for free school meals. These will be issued automatically.
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
