Hundreds of families living in poverty in MK are eligible for share of new £722,000 winter handout

The families, who must have a child under the age of 19, can use the cash to buy "essentials" such as food or heating, lighting, cooking costs or water bills.

But it cannot be used for rent or housing costs, rules the government.

The handout is part of the national £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which is designed to support the country's the lowest-paid families over Christmas and beyond.

Each council will decide the best method of support, but this could include direct payments to individuals, providing meals directly, cascading funds to food distribution charities, or providing food vouchers.

MK Council will receive half of their allocated funding from today, allowing them to put support in place ahead of the Christmas period. The remainder of the funds will be given in 2021, as the scheme is designed to run until the end of March.

The money has been distributed to local authorities based on population size, but also took into account deprivation in the area.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “No-one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter. By empowering local authorities who know their areas best, this scheme ensures families are warm and well-fed this Christmas.

“This adds to the wide range of support already available, including £9.3 billion of additional welfare support to help families in need during the pandemic, along with mortgage holidays, support for renters, and billions in income support through the furlough scheme.”

She said councils were in an "excellent position" to quickly and accurately identify families in their local area most in need of support.

Meanwhile Healthy Start scheme payments are also set to increase from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from next April, and the government has pledged additional funding of £16m for food distribution charities.