Overview
- The DWP’s £742 million Household Support Fund runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, must be spent or committed by the deadline, and payments do not affect entitlement to other benefits.
- Portsmouth is offering £150 for single adults and £200 for couples or families toward energy and water bills, with income caps of £935 or £1,350 a month and an online deadline of 12 noon on 29 January 2026.
- Surrey’s Everyday Essentials E‑Voucher window opens at 1pm on Monday 5 January, providing £200 for single households or £300 for those with children, subject to savings under £2,000 and a £27,007.50 income cap, with monthly windows that can close once funds are allocated.
- Birmingham is disbursing hardship grants of up to £200 via BVSC to residents showing financial difficulty who have not received a grant in the past 12 months, with payments landing this month and applications open until 31 March 2026.
- Other local offers underscore wide variation, including Middlesbrough’s £70 per‑child vouchers linked to free school meals, Telford & Wrekin’s £85 supermarket voucher for eligible pension‑age residents in January, and Camden’s emergency payments up to £500.