The Household Support Fund was introduced in 2021 to help people hit by the coronavirus pandemic and has already been extended several times.
Councils can use the money to help people afford their food, energy and water bills as well as other essential items.
The scheme is aimed at vulnerable people but individual councils can decide on their own eligibility criteria and how the money is spent.
People can access the funds in different ways, depending on how their local council is distributing the money.
For some of those in need they can be referred by partner agencies such as food banks, GPs or Citizens Advice.
Some councils offer pages on their websites where people can apply for help directly.
However, not all councils have been able to use their allocated funds in the past, according to Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson on finance, Peter Marland.
“Obviously one of the issues of a hand-to-mouth scheme… it’s very difficult for councils to take long-term decisions about running the schemes,” he says.
“On the back of cuts many councils have had to make, it is difficult for councils to sometimes get funding out of the door.”
He suggests that while many councils have used the funding, there needs to be a shift to “longer-term support” and funding for people in crisis.
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