We've opened funding to households experiencing financial difficulties who have not received either a previous Household Support Fund payment in the last 6 months and/or an instalment of the £900 Cost of Living Payment.

The application process is available to provide short-term financial support to meet immediate needs and help those who are struggling to afford food, energy and water bills, and other related essentials this winter who have not been supported with other cost of living payments. The application process will not be awarding cash to applicants. Support will be provided for payment of goods/food vouchers etc.

Professional referrals from our officers will be considered for families who have received a cost-of-living payment or due to receive a payment but are homeless or threatened with homelessness and have exceptional circumstances for consideration. Please note, the fund cannot be used to pay rent or mortgage arrears or for other goods/services covered by any other funding source.

Households who have previously received Household Support Fund payments within the last 6 months will only be considered if there are exceptional circumstances.

The scheme runs until 31 March 2024 and is designed to help ease financial pressure on residents to support those most in need this winter with escalating costs of living and in particular, energy cost increases.

We recognise that we cannot predict every challenge that residents may face, so we will be accepting applications for other essential types of support which cannot be budgeted for, and which deliver on the aims of this scheme. These items will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Who is eligible?

Our eligibility criteria, balances supporting as many residents as we can with targeting our limited funds, to support those who need our help the most.

Applicants must:

• Be over the age of 16; and
• Live in the Teignbridge District (as your main residence); and
• Be without sufficient resources to meet the immediate short-term needs of themselves or dependents.
• Have not received support through previous Household Support Fund awards within the last 6 months
• Have not received or due to received cost of living payments. Full list of details is available the government website

What will not be awarded?

Not every application will be awarded.The scheme will not award;

• Mortgage support - however homeowners could still qualify for the other elements of the Fund (such as food, energy, water, essentials linked to energy and water and wider essentials). Where a homeowner is having difficulty with their mortgage payments, they should contact their lender as soon as possible to discuss their circumstances as lenders will have a set procedure to assist.
• Households that have already received support from household support fund payments and other cost of living payments unless there are very exceptional circumstances and have been referred by a Teignbridge District Council officer who has completed an income and expenditure assessment and has provided detailed reason for exceptional circumstances.

How will payments be made?

If you have been awarded a payment, we will normally arrange the goods or payment of utilities direct with the supplier. In some instances, we may provide vouchers or pre-paid cards. All awards from the fund will be made as quickly as possible to meet the agreed needs of the household. We also reserve the right to provide ‘in-kind’ support where this is appropriate. All awards from the fund will be made as quickly as possible.

How do I apply?

Applications may be made online or by telephone.There is telephone support available for those who require assistance to complete the form. Applications can be made by the applicant or their appointee, carer, advocate or a third party acting on their behalf. We also allow direct referrals from trusted partners through our online application system.

Partner agencies, friends, family, or other support persons, with the consent of the applicant, can support or complete the online application on their behalf

What information will I need to provide?

To assess the household needs and priorities, we will require you to provide some information. This may include details of who is living within the household, the household income, any savings held by household members, and of the circumstances and reasons that led to an application being made. We will also need some practical information, such as your National Insurance number and contact details.

The information provided on the application form may be sufficient to make an assessment, however in some instances further information may be necessary to support the application.

The data and information provided by the applicant will be cross referenced with DWP, HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs), Housing Benefit and Council Tax Records and where applicable, to former household support fund applications.