Household Support Fund

1 Overview

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has notified us of a text message scam where residents are being told they are eligible for financial assistance linked to the Household Support Fund (HSF), Cost of Living Payments and UK Home Office notifications.

The DWP says it is taking action to close down fraudulent sites but has asked residents to be wary of attempted scams.

In addition, West Sussex County Council will never text or call you to ask for your bank details in relation to welfare support.

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, you should report this to Action Fraud or by phoning 030 012 32040.

On 2 September 2024 the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced that the Household Support Fund would be extended for a further six months, from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025. Local councils have been allocated funding by UK Government to support residents in need across the county.

£421m has been made available to county councils and Unitary Authorities in England to support those most in need with the cost of essentials via the Household Support Fund.

The expectation is that the fund is intended to cover a wide range of low-income households in need, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger families, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events.

2 Eligibility

Eligibility includes:

• a wide range of low-income households and is not limited to those in receipt of benefits
• disabled people who may be facing acute challenges to meet additional needs in order to manage their conditions, remain independent and avoid becoming socially isolated
• Care leavers who face particular barriers as they leave the care system and begin to live independently
• people with caring responsibilities who may be facing acute challenges incurred through their fulfilling these responsibilities for vulnerable citizens
• individuals with no recourse to public funds - regardless of immigration status, if there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution

This list is not exhaustive and there may additionally be households that are subject to requiring support.

Additional support from this continuation of funding will be allocated in a comparable way to previous rounds:

• Funding continues to be allocated to support children in receipt of term-time free school meals with vouchers for the holidays.
• We are working in partnership with district and borough councils to administer funding most suited to individual communities, to allow each district and borough to administer their own support offering in line with local demand.
• Funds are distributed in partnership with other organisations including Citizens Advice, Carers Support West Sussex and food and fuel banks to ensure a wider community reach.

3 Apply for support

Any households who would like further details, or believe they meet the criteria, can apply now via the Community Hub application-based element of the scheme.

You will need to provide evidence of hardship with your application form and our team will assess your circumstances against the eligibility criteria.

You will need documentation supporting your application, such as:

• proof of ID, photographic or official letter
• a recent bill or official letter as proof of address and residence in West Sussex
• evidence of benefits, including any discounts or reductions
• other relevant evidence of your household’s current hardship

We may not be able to process your application without the supporting documentation.

Use the West Sussex County Council online form below to request support.

If your request is urgent, for example, you are going to run out of food within the next two days, please phone 033 022 27980. Lines are open between 9.00am and 5.00pm seven days a week, except bank holidays, when they are open between 10.00am and 2.00pm.

4 Support provided

Applicants who meet the criteria will receive a one-off financial support offering per household during the 6-month period. Support by way of information advice and guidance, including signposting, will continue to be available to all West Sussex residents throughout the full fund duration.

Where possible we will normally provide vouchers as the primary support offering. If you have any queries regarding vouchers, including how to claim them, you can find comprehensive guides and information below.

These vouchers are to be used for the purpose for which they are provided and are not for resale.

Be aware: Evouchers sent via email may take up to 72 hours to arrive. If an email address is not provided, then vouchers will be posted to the applicant's address, which may incur further delay.

• How to log in and view vouchers - EVouchers
• How to claim your vouchers - Evouchers
• Can my voucher be used online and when does it expire? - EVouchers
• How to access your voucher (step by step instructions) - EVouchers
• Check the balance of a voucher - EVouchers

You don’t have to be receiving benefits to access help from your local council. If you do receive benefits, they won’t be affected when making an application via this scheme.

5 Contact details

If you would like further details, or believe you meet the criteria, you can contact us or apply now via the Community Hub application-based element of the scheme.