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Household Support Fund


Funded by the UK government logo

Cornwall Council has secured a further £4.5 million pounds from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This funding is to continue the Household Support Fund for a further 6 months. The fund will run from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Some of the funding will be used to provide one-off cash payments to low-income households.

Payments are intended to help households struggling to afford;

  • energy bills
  • water bills
  • food
  • and wider essentials

These payments will be made automatically by the end of November 2024. You do not need to apply.

Who will payments be made to?

  • £80 to pensioner households in receipt of Council Tax Support on 21 October 2024
  • £80 to adults assessed as requiring domiciliary care and receiving a financial contribution to the cost of the care from Cornwall Council
  • £80 per child for families receiving Council Tax Support on 21 October 2024.
    If you are not currently in receipt of Council Tax Support but are on a low income and think you may qualify, you can get more information on our Benefits and Support webpages.
    You can also check to see if you are entitled to Council Tax Support and a wide range of other financial support through our Benefits and Budgeting Calculator.
  • £80 per child for families living in emergency accommodation on 21 October 2024. The placement into emergency accommodation must have been made by Cornwall Council's Housing Options service
  • Extra help during school holidays is available through the Time2Move Holiday Programme.
    This offers fun physical activities, games and wider activities plus a meal for all children.  Places are available free of charge to children receiving benefits-related Free School Meals.    

You do not need to apply for the one off cash payments mentioned above. If you are eligible for one of these payments you will receive a letter or an email from the Council. This will tell you how much we have paid and how you will receive the payment. We will not ask you to complete any online forms or to provide us with any bank details.

How to get help from the fund

The Council and partner organisations will use the remaining money to help support those most in need. 

You can apply for help from the Household Support Fund by contacting one of the following organisations. 

Age UK Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Inspiring people and communities to age and live well.

To find out more about Age UK Cornwall's range of support and services, please call: 01872 266383 or email: gateway@ageukcornwall.org.uk

Community Energy Plus

Help with heating or other home energy costs. Freephone 0800 954 1956 or contact online

Citizens Advice Cornwall

A wide range of support including debt and benefit advice. Call the Adviceline on 0808 812 7156 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm or visit Citizens Advice Cornwall

DisAbility Cornwall & IoS

A wide range of support to people living with a long-term health condition or disability. Call DIAL on 01736 759500 or email advice@dialcornwall.org.uk

Cornwall Carers Service

A range of high quality support services for unpaid Carers throughout Cornwall.

These services include

  • emotional support
  • information, advice and guidance
  • statutory assessment
  • access to grants
  • community support
  • carer specific training
  • dedicated services for Young Adult Carers (16-25 year old Carers) and Young Carers.

Visit the Cornwall Carers website or call 01736 756655.

Accessing other support

A range of support is already available through a number of organisations and schemes. These can be found on our cost of living support webpage.

The Cornwall Worrying About Money? leaflet is a simple resource for people facing financial crisis and those supporting them.  It helps to quickly see available advice and support options and which agencies are best placed to help.

You can also use our new Better Off benefits and budgeting calculator. This will help you find out about any benefits that you could be entitled to and other ways you may be able to increase your household income.

Citizens Advice Cornwall can also offer a wide range of support including debt and benefit advice. Call 0808 812 7156, 10am – 4pm Mon-Fri.

Follow the links below for the information and advice currently available for anyone at risk of, or experiencing financial hardship.

Mental Health

People are also reminded that there is a wealth of support available for anyone struggling with their mental health. Please visit our mental health support pages.

If you are worried about your own or someone else’s mental health call the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 24/7 NHS mental health response line on 0800 038 5300. It's free to access by anyone, any age, any time, day or night.

Further reading about the fund

You can read more information about how the decisions were made about the allocations in the Individual Decision report.

Individual Decision report - Household Support Fund

Need help?

Most issues can be resolved online, it's the quickest and most convenient way to get help.

Use our contact us form