Households can apply now for £100-plus cost of living cash

Get in touch with your local council and find out whether you qualify for help with food costs, energy bills, supermarket shopping and school meals

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Thouands of struggling households are eligible for free cash worth £100 or more to cover the cost of living.

The help comes via the Household Support Fund, a £742 million pot of money that has been shared between English councils.

The scheme works by handing councils up and down the country a slice of funding available to dish out to Brits in need.

Each local authority gets a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and number of vulnerable households.

The voucher or grant amounts vary by location, so you must check to see what you can get and how your council will pay you.

The type of help on offer varies from supermarket vouchers to direct cash payments into your bank account.

Some councils are allocating their share of the fund to community groups and charities who you have to get in touch with.

What you need to know about the Household Support Fund: