One-off supermarket vouchers worth £75 automatically issued to struggling households – check if you’re one of them
THOUSANDS of households have been issued supermarket vouchers worth £75 as part of a cost of living package.
The cash support comes through the government’s Household Support Fund.
The scheme works by handing councils up and down the country a slice of funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
Brits across the country have been dished out hundreds from a pot worth £421million and operated by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Each local authority gets a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and number of vulnerable households.
The voucher or grant amounts vary by location, so you must check to see what you can get and how your council will pay you.
Residents of Wakefield are now in line for the support from the beginning of June.
Those who qualify will get a £75 supermarket voucher that they will not need to apply for as they will be issued automatically.
Households that qualify include pensioners, disabled residents, families with at least one child, and low income households.
The support is not a cash provision so will not be able to be spent on anything other than supermarket items.
What if I don’t live in Wakefield?
To get the help, you’ll need to check with your 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 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.
Some councils won’t require you to apply for the help and they’ll contact you about it instead if you qualify.
If there’s no information on your council’s website, then it’s best to ring them up and ask for more information.
What other support is available?
If you don’t qualify for the Household Support Fund in your local area you may still be entitled to additional support.
The third instalment of the cost of living support payment hit bank accounts last month.
Those eligible should have received a tax-free payment by February 22 – take action now if you haven’t had yours and think you qualify.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
