Household Support Fund has re-opened in Sefton to provide support with food, energy costs and essential household bills

Help towards energy, food, and essential bills

To qualify, households will need to show they are on a low-income and need immediate financial help towards energy, food, and essential household bills. Those who receive a grant from the Household Support Fund will not have to pay it back. Neither will it be treated as income for tax or benefit purposes.

Funding will not be available to those who have received support from the Council’s Emergency Limited Assistance Scheme (ELAS) in the past six months.

You can find details of who qualifies and how to apply here.

Payments will be made through the Post Office Pay Out Service.

If you are awarded a Household Support Fund payment based on your application, then you will receive notification within up to 28 days of your claim from Sefton Council.

You can also find out about support available on our Cost of Living pages.

Over £900,000 to local people

During the previous round of the Open Access scheme, Sefton Council received 5,400 applications and allocated over £900,000 to help local people.

Sefton Council has earmarked £1.21 million of the £2.4 million-plus it receives through the Government’s national Household Support Fund for Open Access scheme applications.

School holiday food vouchers and foodbank donations

The Council will be using the rest of the Fund for holiday food vouchers for pupils entitled to free school meals, donations to local foodbanks and ASDA vouchers distributed through Family Hubs. Funds will also be allocated to the Affordable Warmth Team, for residents needing boiler replacements and draught proofing, and for meter top up vouchers through Energy Project Plus.

Winter pyjamas & dressing gowns will be supplies through Family Wellbeing Centres and there will be support for the CVS Winter Clothing project and for the Leaving Care Team to support young people leaving care and transitioning into adulthood.

You can find more details of how Sefton Council plans to use its £2.4 million Household Support Fund allocation here.