The Household Support Fund is funding made available by the Department for Work and Pensions and is available from 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. It is designed to provide rapid short-term financial support to address economic vulnerability and financial hardship.

The fund can be used for many different things such as help with food and utility costs as well as wider essentials.

Household support fund policy.

You have been allocated an award if you are in one of the groups listed below and you will not receive a government cost of living payment in February 2024. You can see if you are entitled to a cost-of-living payment at gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment.

  • You are receiving Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction in income band 1. Please note income band 1 receives 100% reduction off your council tax bill.
  • You are receiving Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction and there is someone in the property who is either a carer, child, previous serving member of the armed forces or in receipt of a disability benefit.
  • You are receiving Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction and there is someone in the property who is either a carer, child, previous serving member of the armed forces or in receipt of a disability benefit, and the property you are living in has an Energy Performance Certificate rated E or below.

Letters will be sent to all eligible residents with details of how to apply for the payment.

If you have received your letter, please complete your application by pressing the Start button at the bottom of this page.

If you need help to complete the application email hardship@eastdevon.gov.uk 

If you haven't received a letter by 1 March 2024, you can still apply for help by completing our Request Financial Support form, available here: Request Financial Support - East Devon.

If you are applying for help and have not received a letter you must be

  • Over the age of 16
  • Live in East Devon (as your main residence)
  • Be without sufficient resources to meet your immediate short-term needs

Applicants will be need to have a telephone interview with an officer to discuss their application in further detail.

Residents will normally receive help via vouchers, payments made direct to suppliers or through invoices for works being sent directly to East Devon District Council. We will only make a cash payment in exceptional circumstances and once all other payment options have been explored. Any cash payment agreed will be made directly into the applicant’s bank account.

Repeat applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

EDDC’s Financial Resilience Team will be managing the applications, alongside our other available discretionary funding, to help tackle poverty in our district and work towards rebuilding the financial resilience of those who are struggling financially, in line with East Devon’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

We continue to work on identifying households who will have a payment allocated to them for the period of 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024. Further updates will be made to this page once this work has been completed. 

Further information on the cost of living and help available can be found at Help with the cost of living in Devon - Devon County Council, cost of living support or Financial Support and Advice - East Devon

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