Westminster Council Local Hardship Fund

Eligibility for the Hardship Fund

Applications for the Hardship Fund have now closed.

We know the cost of living crisis is affecting residents across Westminster. The Westminster Council Local Hardship Fund aims to help residents who are not eligible for other help.  

The Westminster Council Local Hardship Fund is open to anyone who: 

• is a Westminster resident 
• pays rent or a mortgage 
• is not a full-time student,
• does not receive any means-tested benefits
• has a low income of up to £30,000, or £50,000 if there are children in the household
• has savings of less than £5,000
• is struggling financially due to the cost-of-living pressures  

The means-tested benefits are: 

• Universal Credit 
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. 
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance. 
• Income Support. 
• Pension Credit. 
• Tax Credits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit) 
• Housing Benefit. 
• Council Tax Support 

If you receive one of these benefits, you will not be eligible for the Hardship Fund.   

How much will I receive?

Help is available through supermarket vouchers, which will be emailed to you.

The amount depends on your circumstances:   

• if you are single - £150
• couples - £180
• people receiving a disability benefit or a Carers Benefit - £250
• over the age of 65 - £250
• have children in your household - £300

How to apply

To apply, complete our application form, which should take no more than 10 minutes.  

Please have the following documents ready to upload in support of your application:  

• if you work for an employer, a recent payslip showing your year-to-date earnings. 
• if you are self-employed, your tax return for the financial year 2022/23. 
• if your partner works for an employer, a recent payslip showing your year-to-date earnings. 
• if your partner is self-employed, their tax return for the financial year 2022/23. 
• any other income you receive, such as a private or occupational pension   
• if you pay rent, a tenancy agreement or recent rent increase notice, and a bank statement showing a recent outgoing rent payment. 
• if you have a mortgage, a bank statement showing the current repayment to your lender. 
• if there are dependent children in your household, a bank statement showing the amount of Child Benefit received. 

If we need any more information, we will let you know. 

Please note that we will use some of the information provided to let you know if you may be entitled to any means-tested benefits like Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.   

If you don’t have access to the internet or need help to complete the form and upload documents, you can ask someone to help you, or you can contact one of these advice organisations who will also be able to help you.

You can use the email address of a friend or relative. If you don’t have a smartphone, vouchers can be printed out at one of Westminster’s libraries.

How long will it take?

Once your application has been assessed, we aim to email your voucher to you within two weeks. The email will tell you where you can use your voucher. At busy times this could take longer.

Further information

Our cost of living support hub has information about all the other support and help available, and there is also information on the government’s cost of living hub.

The Westminster Local Hardship Fund is funded by the government’s Household Support Fund. Find more information about how we are spending the Household Support Fund.