All the households eligible for £200 cost of living payments even if you don't claim benefits
Households can get access to £200 payments to help with the cost of living in 2025. These payments are available from local councils after funding was delivered by the UK Government.
The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) has allocated £421million via its Household Support Fund (HSF) to enable local authorities to support residents on low income with essential bills. The amount of money issued to each council varies, however support is able to residents across the country.
Support is available to households across the Midlands region. That includes from councils such as Birmingham, Dudley, Solihull and Sandwell.
READ MORE: Millions of DWP claimants face losing £150 payment once 2025 ends
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Councils offering cost of living payments
Birmingham
The local authority in Birmingham has made available £200 one-off payments which are intended to be spent on energy, food and essential supplies like water. These payments are known as 'hardship grants'.
Applications for payments were paused on January 8 while the local authority worked through the waiting list. However applications will reopen in March this year.
Birmingham's eligibility criteria is as follows:
applicants must be a Birmingham resident
currently experiencing financial hardship, particularly with food and energy costs
not have received a £200 grant payment in the past 12 months
For more information, click here.
Dudley
Dudley Council opened applications for £200 one-off payments on January 22. The council received an allocation of £2,625,519 funding from the DWP. Applications must be carried out by the person eligible for council tax.
Dudley's eligibility criteria:
applicants must live in the Dudley borough
have less than £2,000 in savings
have a household income of less than £40,000 - or £30,0000 for single occupancies
not have received a previous HSF payment between April 1 2024 and and January 21 2025
To apply for the funding, click here.
Sandwell
Sandwell Council has made available £200 payments - however the local authority has been issuing these payments automatically, rather than inviting applicants to come forward. It comes after Sandwell Council received more than £3.4m in HSF funding.
These payments have been made available to state pensioners who missed out on the 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment. Nearly 4,000 pensioners have been identified for the payments, which will be sent out as vouchers than can be redeemed at a Post Office.
Sandwell's eligibility criteria:
Missed out on the Winter Fuel Payment
Receive Council Tax reduction but not Pension Credit
Solihull
Solihull Council has made available up to £500 payments to help households with affording their fuel bills. These payments have been made available as debt relief - meaning they will go towards a household's energy debt which covers fuel and water. For more information and to make an application, click here.
applicants must live in Solihull
have a household income of less than £31,000 per year
have no household savings, although pensioners can have up to £5,000 in savings
have someone living in the home with a vulnerability