Lancaster City Council has set up the Household Support Fund Round 3. This funding has been received from The Department for Work and Pensions.

Only 1 application per household will be considered.

• This scheme is being run in partnership with North Lancashire Citizens Advice and the Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership
• The aim of this scheme is to provide longer term support to our residents who are struggling financially
• Please note, this scheme may be suspended at any point for new applications depending on demand and availability of appointment slots with Citizens Advice

Please note we are currently experiencing a high demand of applications within this period. Due to this it is taking some extra time for us to make contact with regards to your application. To try and help us and speed up the application process please provide at least one month of recent bank statements for all adults within the household showing all transactions and proof of any benefits (If you are on Universal Credit we will need to see a breakdown showing all of the details and deductions) . Please provide these as part of your application through the application form, via email to hsf@lancaster.gov.uk or in person at either of our town halls to ensure as little delay as possible.

How this scheme works

To be eligible for the scheme you need to be:

• Aged 16 or over
• A resident of the Lancaster District
• Experiencing financial hardship and struggling to afford essential items or living costs
• Be willing to engage with Citizens Advice

The application process

• Complete our short application form or call 01524 582000 and press option 7 for an advisor to complete the form on your behalf
• You will need to provide at least one month of recent bank statements and proof of any benefits you receive. Please provide these as part of your application through the application form, via email to hsf@lancaster.gov.uk or in person at either of our town halls to ensure as little delay as possible.
• Once completed the council will ring you to book an initial telephone appointment with an advisor from Citizens Advice or Lancaster City Council if the documents have been provided
• If the documents have not been provided a council worker will call you to request these are sent in before they can book you in for an appointment. The quickest way to do this is to upload the documents through the application or email through to hsf@lancaster.gov.uk

You can also provide your financial information directly at Morecambe Town Hall or Lancaster Town Hall Monday to Friday 9am-1pm. 

As part of the assessment a Citizens Advice or Lancaster City Council advisor will:

• Carry out a debt assessment and benefit check to not only identify debts they can support with but to make sure you are receiving all the income and benefits you are entitled to
• They will provide you with a draft financial budgeting statement
• Put in any requests to the Household Support Fund for short term support
• Carry out more in-depth follow-up appointments where required

If you would like to specifiy that you do speak with a Citizens Advice advisor rather than one from Lancaster City Council please make the Resident Support Officer aware of this at any point during the application.

Any support through the Household Support Fund for essential items will be processed after your appointment has taken place and the recommendations referred back through to the council.

The types of short term support the fund can help with include:

• Utility bills
• Housing costs
• Household appliances
• Other essential items

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FAQ

Can I apply if I have already applied to the Lancaster District Hardship Fund?

Applications can be submitted if you have previously applied to the Lancaster District Hardship Fund, however we will look at the level of support you have already received and whether you fully engaged with Citizens Advice before a decision is made on any new applications

Can I appeal a decision if my application is unsuccessful? 

As this is a discretionary scheme there is no right of appeal. However, if you think we have overlooked important information then you can ask for us to look at the application again by emailing hsf@lancaster.gov.uk providing reasons along with your name, address and reference number.

This decision will be final.

Privacy statement

• For details on how Lancaster City Council uses your data, see our HSF privacy notice .

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Apply now

• Apply to the Household Support Fund

The Lancaster District Hardship Fund is currently suspended,  if you need support apply to the Household Support Fund which can be found in the sector above. If you have any urgent enquires please contact us via email to ldhf@lancaster.gov.uk or by calling 01524 582000 and pressing option 7.

The Discretionary Energy Rebate Scheme has now expired and all payments have been processed as part of this scheme.

For anyone who is in receipt of an expired letter as part of this scheme please email ders@lancaster.gov.uk or ring 01524 582000 and when prompted press option 7 for us to assist you with this.

The criteria for this scheme can be found here. (DOCX, 13KB)

We know people are worried so the government is offering help for households. See what cost of living support you could be eligible for.

• Visit https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/

We know how tough things are at the moment, especially with the very large increases to the cost of living we are experiencing.

Because of this we have launched the Cost of Living Grants Programme. This programme is designed to allow us to assist people who need help in a quick and easy way with everyday essentials such as kitchen appliances, clothes, and energy costs.

This programme is open to anyone who is eligible for our support struggling to pay for items and services they need. And you can apply online the below link. We aim to assess your application within 5 days of submission.

To apply click here.