UK households will wake up to free £500 Cost of Living payment in July

UK households are set to wake up to a free £500 Cost of Living payment in July - as councils spread out funds thanks to the Household Support Fund. Thousands of households could get payments of up to £500 to help with costs in July.

Payments are available to support thousands of hard-up households. In Leicestershire, for instance, East Midlands residents can apply for a financial award of £300 per household, which will be paid in the form of vouchers to support with gas, electricity and food.

The payment can be delivered as a Post Office voucher, which can be redeemed for cash to help with gas, electricity or water, or an e-voucher to help with food costs that can be converted to a gift card for major supermarkets. Recipients will need to be referred from a professional support worker or agency and payment will be made on acceptance.

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In Leeds, people who get council tax support with dependent children can claim up to £100, while those without children could receive £25. In the East Riding of Yorkshire local authority, meanwhile, households could receive a payment of £200, by the end of July.

In Cambridge, households can apply for a financial award of £110 per household, and they can apply twice for support between 1 April and September 30 this year, meaning each household could be in line to receive as much as £220.

In the West Midlands, Shropshire Council is giving local households £400 payments. In Ribble Valley in East Lancashire households can get £200 payments, the local council states, and those with two or more adults could receive £300 and those with children £500.

Hastings Council will pay out a free £150 in support for energy and water bills as well as food. In Kent, meanwhile, single households can apply for £65 support, those with two people £85, three people £115, four people £155, five people £190 and those with six people or more £225.

£110 per household is being paid out by Nottinghamshire Council, too.