Thousands of families can get up to £100 FREE cash – are you eligible?

HARD-UP households can grab up to £100 FREE cash during the cost of living crisis.

Millions of pounds has been given to councils to dish out to those struggling with bills.

The grants will help those who need help to pay for food, keep their house warm, pay bills and cover other essential costs.

The £500million of cash comes from the Department for Work and Pensions Household Support Fund (HSF).

Each area is giving out the money in different ways and what you can get depends on where you live.

Leeds City Council for example has over £7million in total from the fund and is giving out vouchers of £100.

Around 63,000 households already getting help with council tax bills in Leeds will get the cash automatically and won’t need to apply.

The help on offer varies across the country, with each council setting its own eligibility criteria.

For example, Salford City Council are providing residents with thermal curtains to help heat their homes, and Torbay offers £50 for households struggling to afford food and bills.

In some places you’ll need to apply for the cash, while others like Leeds are offering help to people already identified as on low incomes.

How do I apply for the cash?

To get the help, you’ll need to apply through your local council – as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.

To find your local council, use the gov.uk council finder tool.

Once you’ve found your council, there should be information on how to apply for the funding on its website.

Each council will have a different application process – so exact details on how to apply will vary depending on where you live.

That means that the eligibility requirements to access the fund could also vary – it’s best to check with your local council for more details.

If there’s no information on your council’s website, then its best to ring them up and ask for more information.

The Government has also announced that it’s expanding it’s No-Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) which will offer help to 20,000 Brits.

Under this scheme, you’ll only pay back what you borrowed as there is no interest attached.

Rishi Sunak has also announced that Brits will receive £400 to help with the cost of their bills.

Those who are vulnerable, disabled or are pensioners could receive even more.