The Household Support Fund is closed at the moment.
The Household Support Fund is a scheme funded by the government to help low-income households.
The money we're given is for help with costs like food, energy bills and other essentials such as clothing and hygiene products.
The fund is a discretionary award, and we reserve the right to change the criteria at any time.
Who can apply
To apply for a payment, you must:
- live in the Canterbury district and be 16 or over (including university students)
- have a total household income of £40,000 or less - this includes any money from employment or benefits
- have no more than £500 in savings and not have access to any other money to support your situation
How much money you can apply for
| Type of household | Amount |
|---|---|
| Single people or couples with no children | £100 |
| Single people or couples with children | £150 |
| State pension age people | £200 |
Only one payment can be made per household. If a child and a person of pension age live in the same household, you will only be eligible for one grant of £200.
What you need to submit with your application
You’ll need to give us:
- your National Insurance number - if you are applying for a £200 grant, we will need this for one state pension aged member of your household
- your most recent council tax letter or statement
- proof of address for anyone under 18 that lives with you
- bank statements for all accounts held for everyone in your household (including savings accounts)
- details of any benefits you and anyone in your household gets including Universal Credit statements if this applies
- your bank details - we'll pay the money into this account if you're successful
What happens after we get your application
We’ll look at all applications based on individual needs, the information and supporting evidence you give us, and the money available.
We'll give priority to people in urgent need.
If there is high demand for payments, you might not be given any money even if you are eligible.
When you'll get a reply from us
We normally let you know the outcome of your application within 28 working days.
If your application is not successful we’ll explain the reasons why.
The Household Support Fund Framework sets out full details of the scheme and how payments are made:
You can also see our privacy notice for how we'll use your personal data.