DWP offers up to £500 free cash for thousands of households - check what you can claim

Each council independently decides how to share the cash, meaning eligibility criteria and payment amounts differ depending on location.

Britons are urged to check their local council website to see what help is available.

Solihull Council has been awarded £1.4million from the Household Support Fund to assist residents with essential costs.

Eligible households can receive fuel vouchers worth up to £147 or fuel debt relief of up to £500 if they're struggling with utility bills.

To qualify, residents must live in Solihull, have a household income under £31,000, and have someone with a vulnerability living in the home. Pensioners can have up to £5,000 in savings, while other households must have no savings to be eligible.

Qualifying benefits include State Pension, Universal Credit, Income Support, and Personal Independence Payment.

Application for the scheme will reopen in early January. People can find out more by visiting actonenergy.org.uk/support/hsf-sol or via Age UK Solihull on 0121 709 7590.

In Sandwell, West Midlands, pensioner households who missed out on December's Winter Fuel Payment can receive a separate £200 payment from the council.

The payments are funded through the Household Support Fund, with Sandwell Council receiving over £3.4 million to support residents until March 2025.

This funding will help us to support people in Sandwell most affected during these difficult times. This includes:

• a £200 payment for nearly 4,000 pensioners on low incomes who won’t receive a Winter Fuel Payment (those who receive Council Tax reduction but not Pension Credit).
• providing families eligible for free school meals with vouchers in December to support them at what we know is often the most challenging financial period of the year for many households.
• financially supporting council tenants and private tenants who are struggling with the cost of living and funding discretionary payments for people struggling to pay their Council Tax bill.

A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: "This payment will be sent to eligible households in a letter from the end of December that can be cashed at a Post Office."

Different councils across the UK are offering varying levels of support through their Household Support Fund allocations.

In Leeds, residents receiving Council Tax Support can access payments of £40, with some pensioner households eligible for £150. Households in Leicestershire can apply for vouchers worth up to £300 to help with gas, electricity and food costs.

Rotherham residents struggling with living costs can receive payments of up to £250.

The DWP notes that some councils distribute funds through local charities and community groups, while others limit households to one application per year.

Another form of support available from the Government is the £150 Warm Home Discount scheme, which is running until March 2025. This provides support for households on low incomes struggling with energy costs.

The payment is automatically applied as a discount on eligible households' electricity bills, rather than being paid directly to bank accounts.

Those eligible include low-income households with high energy costs and pensioner households receiving the guarantee element of Pension Credit.