Household support fund

In Blackpool the household support fund can help by providing short term financial support to meet immediate needs and help residents who are struggling to meet household energy or water costs.

• An award of £200 will be made to qualifying households of one or two people (including children)
• An award of £300 will be made to qualifying households of three or more people (including children)

If successful awards will be paid directly to your energy provider or United Utilities and will appear as a credit on your bill or pre-payment electric or gas meter.

This scheme is open to Blackpool residents only. Household members must be permanent residents of the supply address.

Children must be permanent residents of the address and have child benefit in payment at the address.

We will carry out checks to confirm household numbers.

To apply for the household support fund applicants must be:

• Over the age of 16 and responsible for paying the utility bills for the property
• A Blackpool Council resident
• Experiencing financial hardship and struggling to meet your immediate short term needs

Due to limited funding we will only make one award per household within a 12 month period

There is no requirement to be in receipt of Universal Credit or other DWP benefits to apply for this fund.

• You need to provide your most recent full months bank/building society/savings account statements for all accounts for the applicant and all other adults in your household
• Statements should show all transactions in and out of your accounts, and not just balances. This evidence is required to demonstrate that your household meets the aims of the scheme

We also need

• A copy of your electricity, gas or water bill clearly showing your name and address, the name of your supplier and your account number
• If you have a pre payment meter you will need to access and create an online account with your electricity or gas supplier. From your online account you can take a screen shot or photo showing your name, address, name of your supplier and your pre-pay account number

If you buy your electricity/gas from your landlord via a card or coin meter

• If you have a landlord meter fitted and have no direct access account with an energy supplier, please upload a letter from your landlord or letting agent confirming who is responsible for the gas/electricity supply to the property and that you purchase gas/electricity through a private card or coin meter

Please ensure you have the required evidence available before starting your application.

Note - Applications submitted without all the required supporting evidence will not be processed.

If you are having difficulty obtaining the required evidence or difficulty uploading documents please contact us by email blackpoolhouseholdsupport@blackpool.gov.uk

We aim to assess applications as quickly as possible and strictly in the date order they are received.

Due to the expected high number of applications it may take several weeks before your application is considered. You will be contacted as soon as your application is assessed.

As this is a discretionary scheme there is no right of appeal. However if you feel we have overlooked any information you can ask us to look at the application again. Please email blackpoolhouseholdsupport@blackpool.gov.uk providing your reasons for review together with your name, address and reference number.

Following this review the decision will be final.

We are committed to tackling and preventing fraud in all its forms.

If a claimant attempts to claim an award from the household support fund by making a false declaration or providing false evidence or statements they may have committed an offence under the Theft Act 1968.

Where the council suspects fraud may have occurred it will investigate the matter as appropriate, they may lead to criminal proceedings.

Please note this is not an emergency support scheme. If you require urgent support with food, gas or electricity pre-pay top-ups, Blackpool Council Discretionary Support Scheme may be able to help. Additional help with Council Tax may be available from the Council Tax Reduction scheme.

Additional help and advice regarding affordable warmth advice and assistance, including:

• Warm homes discount
• Priority services register
• Understanding and reducing fuel bills
• Energy efficiency
• Budgeting money
• Dealing with fuel debt
• Fuel incentives
• Tariff differences
• Switching
• Smart meters
• Green measures
• Addressing damp

· and more is available from the BCH Warm and Healthy Homes project. This service is available to owner occupiers and tenants (not just BCH tenants).