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A fund which can help Prestonians with energy costs, food and essentials has been re-opened.
Known as the Household Support Fund it means Preston City Council can give discretionary grants to individuals or organisations.
It’s classed as crisis support and is now in its sixth round of funding and payments are made on a first come first served basis.
Read more: Preston City Council supports almost 50 community projects through Household Support Fund
What’s covered?
The kinds of costs covered under the scheme include
- food
- gas and electricity costs
- water
- household bills
- clothing
- essentials linked to energy, water and food
- Housing costs (if all other sources of help have been sought)
What’s not covered?
- Items considered not essential such as tumble driers, TVs etc
- Debts incurred through gambling
- Loan or credit card debt or overdraft debt
- Applications from those with sufficient income, capital, savings or assets
- Household items considered to be responsibility of landlords
- Moving costs and rent arrears
What are the rules on applying?
- Only one application is allowed per household, and there has to be three months between applications
- You must be a resident in the Preston area
- You must be experiencing financial hardship and not have enough money to meet your immediate short-term needs
- All supporting evidence might be provided at the time of application or it will be declined
- The application period runs from Monday 28 October 2024 to Monday 31 March 2025
There’s full conditions of applying and information about what needs to be supplied when applying on the city council site.
How do I apply
All applications have to be made via the Household Support Fund form on the city council website.
If you need help with the online application or have queries you can call the city council on 01772906777.
What do the city council say?
Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, councillor Nweeda Khan, said: “Schemes like the Household Support Fund are intended to help those who need help and support during these difficult times, and I would urge all eligible residents in need of help and assistance with energy and water bills, food and
essential items to apply.”
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