East Riding of Yorkshire Council has launched a discretionary grant scheme to support those who need it most with the cost of food, energy, water bills and other essentials this winter.
The Household Support Grant Scheme is funded from one-off central Government funding announced on 30 September 2021, and enables local authorities to provide financial support to households most in need over the winter months.
To help ensure fairness of applications and access to the grant across the winter for those who need it, East Riding of Yorkshire Council will implement the Household Support Grant as a discretionary scheme and make awards over two periods.
The scheme will run to 31 March 2022, or until funding has been fully spent.
The council will be contacting households who have been identified as eligible for the grant.
It is expected that the discretionary funding available will not be sufficient to provide support to all residents, and therefore will target and prioritise support for the following:
- to support households with children, where the applicant meets the criteria to entitle a child to free school meals
- to support households who are entitled to council tax support and have been identified as in fuel, food and water poverty
- to support households who have a heating and water allowance in their financial assessment for adult care
- to support households in receipt of housing benefit and classed as in support accommodation
- to support households entitled to universal credit and identified as losing the £20 temporary uplift
- to support households entitled to universal credit and in the latest assessment period, have limited capacity to work.
For more information and to apply for the Household Support Grant, please visit https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/helpwithbenefits
Councillor John Holtby, deputy leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council with responsibility for corporate services, said: “I’m delighted that the council is able to provide financial support to local households most in need over the winter months through the Household Support Grant Scheme. The grants will help residents meet daily needs such as food, utilities and other essentials.”
In addition to this grant, the council also has an emergency assistance scheme. If your household does not meet the Household Support Grant criteria as described above, but has less income than your outgoings (for essential services, food, fuel, etc) and less than £1,000 in savings, you may be entitled to support under the council’s emergency assistance scheme.
More information and applications can be made at https://www.eastriding.gov.uk/living/emergency-assistance/
Households may also contact their nearest food bank where they require emergency support. Details can be found at https://www.erfpa.org.uk/find-a-foodbank/
Where residents may not be eligible for this grant, the council has an online benefit eligibility checker, which can be used to see if you are entitled to other forms of financial support. It’s free to use, anonymous and only takes a couple of minutes to complete. Visit https://eastriding.entitledto.co.uk/home/start
