Household Support Fund ends 31 March 2025

The Household Support Fund will end on 31 March 2025, according to the benefit changes timetable published by Turn2us¹. The same date is given as the deadline to make a claim for the 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment¹.

The fund is administered by local councils and is intended to help with essential costs. Disability Rights UK states that help may be available from a local council towards energy and water bills, food and essential items, and that "You do not have to be getting benefits to get help from your local council"². It adds that "If you get benefits, they will not be affected if you get a payment from a Household Support Fund scheme"². The same page carries a note that "The Housing Support Fund Schemes ends on 30 September 2024"², a date that does not match the 31 March 2025 end date given by Turn2us¹.

Disability Rights UK says authorities "should consider providing support to disabled people in their area", that they "are therefore encouraged to explore ways in which this group may be supported and must record the total value of awards granted to disabled people", and that disabled people may face higher utility, heating, water or transport costs².

Other changes fall on or around the same date¹:

The Pension Age Disability Payment replaces Attendance Allowance in Scotland, and people getting Attendance Allowance began to be automatically transferred to it in January 2025¹. In Scotland, the transfer of people from Carer's Allowance to Carer's Support Payment is expected to be complete by March 2025, and the transfer of people getting Disability Living Allowance to Adult Disability Payment and Scottish Adult DLA is expected to begin¹.

From April 2025, social security benefits will go up by 1.7%, the New and Basic State Pensions and the Minimum Guarantee element of Pension Credit will rise by 4.1%, and the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold will increase from £151 to £196¹. The National Minimum Wage will increase by 6%, to £12.21 per hour for people aged 21 and over, £10.00 for 18- to 20-year-olds and £6.40 for apprentices and those under 18¹. The Tax Credit service closes on 5 April 2025¹.

Why it matters for households

Payments from the Household Support Fund are made at council discretion, so the end of the scheme on 31 March 2025 removes a route to help with energy and water bills, food and essential items for people in England, whether or not they claim benefits¹. Disability Rights UK notes that disabled people may face higher costs for utilities, heating, water and transport, and that councils were required to record the total value of awards granted to disabled people².

The 31 March 2025 date also closes the window to claim the 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment¹. In Northern Ireland, pensioners who did not receive the Winter Heating Payment are due a one-off £100 fuel support payment by the same date, and the extension of Welfare Supplementary Payments there also ends then¹.

For people in Scotland, the Pension Age Disability Payment becomes available in 13 more local authority areas from 24 March 2025 and throughout Scotland from 22 April 2025, replacing Attendance Allowance¹. Further detail on Pension Credit, Cold Weather Payment and winter heating payments in Scotland is set out in the site's guides.

What happens next

The timetable lists later dates in 2025: all managed migration notices are expected to be sent by the end of September 2025, and working parents of children under five will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week from September 2025¹. In November 2025, the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is expected to be launched in Scotland, replacing the Winter Fuel Payment, and the Cold Weather Payment 2025 scheme opens in England, Wales and Northern Ireland¹. The Winter Heating Payment 2025/26 in Scotland is expected to be paid to eligible households in December 2025¹. Turn2us notes that information about some changes may be limited and subject to further change¹.