Household Support Fund - Round 5

Update 12th July 2024

Please be aware that the Hardship Grant Community Fund scheme is pausing new enquiries at this time. This is to enable teams to reach out and support those in their local area who have already completed a successful an enquiry and are on the waiting list.

We will reopen again to begin accepting new enquiries by early August 2024.

Please note that the scheme is still expected to continue supporting eligible households with grant award payments into September 2024 as planned.

If you have submitted a successful enquiry since the current scheme opened in May 2024, please bear with us – a member of the team in your local area will reach out to you using the contact details provided in the next 3-4 weeks.

Hardship Grant Community Fund

After receiving cabinet approval in April 2024, the Household Support Fund Round 5 is being made available to ease the financial burdens faced by its vulnerable citizens living in Birmingham.

The Household Support Fund, provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, is a fixed amount of money available to the Local Authority to be used to support those households in most need, with essentials such as food, energy and essential goods and supplies including water.

Birmingham Voluntary Service Council’s (BVSC) Hardship Grant Community Fund (HGCF), part of Birmingham City Council’s (BCC) wider Household Support Fund (HSF) activity, will be running until 30th September 2024.

BVSC will be distributing grants of up to £200 to Birmingham households, currently facing financial hardship, with the funds intended to help households with food costs and energy payments.

When does it start?

Applications will be accepted from May 2024, and we will continue to accept applications until 30th September 2024, or until all funding has been exhausted if sooner.

Who is eligible?

• You must be a Birmingham Resident
• You must be experiencing financial hardship, particularly with regards to covering costs linked to food and energy
• Your household must not have received a £200 grant payment in the last 12 months*

Please be aware that you may be expected to provide proof of address and proof of means-tested benefits (if you are in receipt of them) in the case that you are invited to apply.

Further Information

*You do not need to pay any fee to apply for a Hardship Grant. Should any organisation request a fee from you to apply, please do not give them any personal details and contact BVSC immediately to report them.

Please be advised that each household is only eligible to receive one £200 grant payment in a 12 month period. e.g. If you received a £200 payment on 31st May 2023, you cannot make another application until 1st June 2024. Any enquiry received before your eligibility date will be rejected.

The application system actively monitors submitted applications looking for signs of fraud and details of any attempts to make fraudulent applications and/or fraudulently receive grant funding will be shared with West Midlands Police.

Receiving a grant from this fund will not impact on any other benefits you may be receiving or may be entitled to.

Grant payments are made directly into a bank account in the applicant’s name. If you do not currently have a bank account, please click the link below for details on how to open a Basic Bank Account.

Opening A Basic Bank Account

What additional support is available?

You can find more information and resources on BCC's Cost of Living Support Page and on the Government’s Cost of Living Hub.

You can also find out about what other support may be available for you, as well as finding out useful tips for saving money on the Help for Households campaign page. 

You can also apply for support from Birmingham City Council via the Local Welfare Provision scheme.

How can I make contact with BVSC? 

If you would like to leave us a Comment, Suggestion, or make a Complaint, please click the link below. 
Compliments, Comments and Complaints Policy