SLOUGH residents struggling to keep afloat during the cost of living crisis can apply for a new fund.

The council has been awarded another £1.17m from the Department for Work and Pensions to help families, pensioners, and residents struggling to pay for basic living costs, such as food, energy and water bills.

The grant, also known as the household support fund, is also for those finding it hard to pay for essentials linked to sanitary products, warm clothing, and soap.

Residents have until September 30 to apply. A majority of the funding will go to families with children in receipt of free school meals, early years pupil premium, and care leavers while a third will go to pensioners.

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The council will be making direct contacts with those identified as being eligible for these payments and people who don’t fall under those categories can apply to the discretionary scheme.

Councillor Rob Anderson, lead member for financial oversight, said: “We are pleased to have received at least the same amount of money as we did in the previous scheme which ran until the end of March. Last time we made 38,000 individual payments which shows the scale of the cost of living crisis for Slough residents. The money will go to help those who really need it the most.”

Criteria for the discretionary scheme, which is issued on a first-come, first-served basis, includes being over 16, having a settled residence in Slough, having a reduction in income, and not having savings they could use.

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It is one application per household.

There is an application form to complete for those who won’t automatically be eligible. Please submit all the information requested to speed up the application process.

To see the full eligibility criteria, please visit https://www.slough.gov.uk/benefits-support/household-support-fund