Express & Star

Grants to be given to eligible Dudley residents to help with winter bills

Eligible Dudley residents could be given help with their everyday living costs ahead of the winter months thanks to an £800,000 pot of funding.

Published
Dudley Council House

Dudley Council was awarded £5.2 million as part of the government's household support fund earlier this year.

The local authority set aside £800,000 to support residents with everyday costs which was split into two pots, with the first having been rolled out between April and September.

The second phase of the scheme will be launched on October 4 at 5pm, which will see payments of £250, or £300 if someone in the household has a disability, made available to households who did not receive a payment in phase one.

Councillor Steve Clark, cabinet member for finance, said: "Earlier this year, the council was awarded £5.2m through the government's household support fund.

"While a majority of the money is being used to support people that we know are in need and are most vulnerable, we earmarked £800,000 to help others in our communities who are struggling with living costs.

"We split that funding into two phases at the start of the financial year, with approximately £300,000 available in round one, but we kept £500,000 for phase two, to enable us to offer greater support over the winter months when bills are likely to be more costly.

"As ever, we expect demand to be high once the application process opens, so we'll monitor applications and will have to close this round once funds are exhausted."

For more information on eligibility and to apply for a grant, visit dudley.gov.uk/council-community/cost-of-living/household-support-fund/