Household Support Fund: find out how your local council can help with cash, vouchers and more

Discover all the extra benefits and payments that councils across the country are providing for families and how much you can get.

Families are taking advantage of the Household Support Fund (HSF) to get additional cash or benefits to help with the rising cost of living.

The Household Support Fund is a government cash pot given to local councils to help low-income families in their area.

Councils are doing everything from supplying air fryers to making cash payments that families can spend on food, bills and other essentials.

However, the questions foremost on the minds of many parents are, How much is the Household Support Fund worth where I live? and How much am I eligible for?

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Below you'll find a list of the HSF benefits and payments from councils across the country.

Scroll down to find out and see what financial support you can get from your local council.

What is the Household Support Fund?

The HSF is money provided by the government directly to local authorities. They then decide how to spend it and where it is most needed in local communities.

The government has published the amounts each council receives and councils then provide it to residents. Each council sets the amount to go to individual families, establishes who is entitled to it and pays out the fund.

The fund was scheduled to end in March 2023, but in April 2023, the government announced an additional £842 million would be made available to help the most vulnerable households across England with essential food and energy costs via their local councils. The scheme is currently running until 31 March 2024.

Find out everything you need to know about the Household Support Fund, including who gets it.

How much can I get from the Household Support Fund?

The amount each council is awarded varies and is dependent on the size of the population, the catchment area and general local need. You can find out how much your local authority was allocated for the period April 1 2023 to March 31 2024 here.

Check the list below and get in touch with your local council to see what is on offer where you live.

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What councils across the country are providing from the HSF

We've detailed some of the latest information available. Don't see your area? Get in touch with your local council to see what's available in your area and to ensure you're getting all the help you're eligible for.

You can find the contact details for your local council on the government website.

• Birmingham Council is giving eligible residents £200 if they experience financial hardship, particularly with regard to food and energy costs.
• Blackpool Council is offering households either £200 or £300 towards their energy bills – and it's not restricted to families on benefits. The money will be paid directly to your energy supplier and will come off your next bill.
• Bromley Council are offering £200 to households experiencing financial hardship which can apply for through the council website.
• Buckinghamshire Council has given out payments and they have extended their support until 31 March 2024.
• In Bury, Greater Manchester, one-off payments of £100 to £300 are being paid directly to recipients' bank accounts for essentials including bills and food shops
• Camden, London is offering payments of £200-£500 depending on circumstances, plus supermarket vouchers for eligible families in February and March 2024.
• Cheshire East council is providing supermarket vouchers, cash for energy, and help with rent. Some help will be provided automatically, while additional help may be available if you get a referral from a trusted professional.
• In Derby eligible households with children can get £120 food vouchers. The council has also given out energy vouchers through its Warm Welcome Hubs.
• In Dudley, West Midlands, families who are struggling financially can apply for financial help worth £250 to help towards bills and other essential household costs.
• Cambridgeshire County Council is offering £110. in cash or vouchers to eligible low-income families with no more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments.
• The City of Doncaster Council has already provided most of the food vouchers and energy support available, but you may still be able to claim if you weren't eligible before.
• In Dorset, the next round of applications will open for families in on 6 February to get £150 worth of vouchers to be spent in supermarkets including ASDA and B&M. There will be further application opportunities on 6 February and 5 March.
• Dudley households will be able to get a one-off payment of £250 if your household makes less than £45,000 per year and you have less than £2,000 in savings or if you make less than £35,000 per year and are the only adult in the house
• Durham families will usually get any help they're entitled to, such as vouchers, automatically. If you think you could be entitled to help but haven't received anything, contact the council.
• Ealing Council will give struggling families a £175 supermarket voucher to help with food costs. Eligible households will get the supermarket voucher worth £175 in February 2024. if you're facing hardship, you can also apply for further support.
• Residents of East Riding in Yorkshire can get a free £350 cost of living payment if they meet certain criteria, including having a joint income below £33,000 and savings below £6,000.
• Greenwich, London is making payments for children on free school meals, with £15 available in February half term, and £30 in the Easter holiday.
• Herefordshire council is providing HSF support to those who may be not entitled to other benefits and looks to provide immediate day-to-day help
• Islington, London is organising free meals during school holidays up to Easter 2024 for ALL school-age children who eligible for free school meals AND for children under school age whose parent or guardian gets Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support. The council is also offering unspecified payments to other groups. Find out more and apply on the council website.
• In Kensington and Chelsea, London, households struggling to buy food can claim up to £250 cash. Additional automatic support will also be provided to other groups including families eligible for free school meals.

• In Kent, applications are now closed for £100 vouchers, however additional support may be available through the Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS).
• Leeds has already made a payment of either £75 or £100 to households in receipt of Council Tax Support. Support for other households may still be available through The Local Welfare Support Scheme.
• Manchester is providing support to families with children eligible for free school meals, with payments per child through Easter 2024. Each child can get weekly payments of £15 for school holidays during February and Easter half-term holiday 2024. Some households may also be eligible for a one-off payment of up to £300.
• In Milton Keynes, anyone struggling to meet their immediate needs can apply for help with essentials such as food, energy and water bills, school uniform, household appliances and other essential living costs.
• Newcastle City Council is supplying vouchers of between £400 and £700 in instalments throughout the year for those most in need. Eligible households will have been contacted by the Revenue and Benefits department. It's also providing meal vouchers for eligible families during the February half-term and Easter holidays. The hardship payment scheme will reopen in early 2024.
• North Norfolk will be contacting families directly if they're eligible for help. If you're struggling, you can contact its financial inclusion team for support and guidance.
• Low-income families in North Northamptonshire could be entitled to a one-off payment of up to £320 to help with essentials. Eligibility is based on household income and savings. They're also providing food vouchers during the holidays for children who are eligible for free school meals. Eligible families can also apply for £150 to help with energy costs.
• In North Yorkshire, the Household Support Fund scheme has now closed to new applicants, however you may still be able to get financial help through the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF).
• North Somerset has provided food vouchers to children who are eligible for free school meals. If you're struggling, you can apply for additional help through the North Somerset County website.

• Nottingham households can get up to 3 x £49 for energy bills, plus up to £150 for food and other essentials. Families whose children get free school meals are eligible for food vouchers in the school holidays.
• Portsmouth Council will be accepting HSF applications from 15 January – 2 February, and 26 February – 15 March. Eligible recipients will receive a one-off cost of living payment and those with children could also be entitled to 'Family vouchers' in the form of £150 in supermarket vouchers (per child).
• In Reading residents in low-income households with children in receipt of pupil premium or free school meals can receive two £125 vouchers. The first voucher should have been claimed in November, but the second voucher can still be claimed until 29 February.
• In Ribble Valley, Lancashire all HSF funding has now been used, and no further applications for help are being accepted. However, you can still contact the council's debt and cost of living advisor for support and benefit advice.
• Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council residents in the West Midlands could get a payment of up to £900. This will be paid automatically, and there's no need to apply. However, you may be able to apply for emergency assistance under the Local Welfare Provision Scheme..
• Salford residents can apply for 'discretionary assistance to pay for food, energy and fuel'. The council posted about it on X, formerly Twitter, with a link to apply.
• Shropshire Council will provide meal vouchers to families eligible for free school meals, for the spring half term and Easter holiday. Eligible households may also have received or been contacted about a one-off payment of £270. Families on a low income may be able to apply for additional support through the Welfare Support Fund.
• If you live in Southend on Sea, you could be eligible for £50 worth of supermarket vouchers.
• In Southampton, applications reopened in January 2024 for support with the cost of living, including £50 or more in food vouchers, and help with hosing costs.
• In Stockton-on-Tees, low-income families have been offered cash of up to £300 which can be used to help out with bills
• Families in Tandridge, West Sussex will be able to claim a cash grant of £350 if they are struggling to pay for essentials.
• Torbay, Devon is providing up to £150 to households receiving Welfare Benefit, and between £250-£500 to eligible households not receiving Welfare Benefit. If you don't receive Welfare Benefit, you must have a disposable income of less than £50 per week.
• Torridge residents in North Devon may be able to get financial help with food, energy bills, housing costs and other essentials.
  

• Wakefield Council eligible families have already been issued three rounds of supermarket vouchers, but applications are still open for further help with essential goods and energy bills.
• In Walsall in the West Midlands, low income families have received £145 per child, paid directly in three instalments. The last payment was in December 2023, and the council has not said if any further help will be provided. However, children who receive benefit-related free school meals may be eligible for the Holiday Activity and Food programme in the Easter holidays.
• Warwickshire residents can apply for Local Welfare Support to help with food, gas, electric or household goods. You can apply on the council website, and if successful, will usually receive vouchers.
• West Devon residents can receive a one-off payment to help with essentials if they are struggling to meet their immediate short-term needs.
• Households in West Northamptonshire who are in work but are struggling can apply for a £300 payment to help with essentials, childcare costs and more, according to a post put out on X.
• Wokingham Council has provided more than 650 energy-saving packs to help ease costs for families, including air fryers, slow cookers, heated blankets and thermal clothing. Eligible families can also apply for a grant of £20 per week, per child during the school holidays.
• Eligible City of York residents have already received £370 in cash to help with bills and food. If you did not receive this, but are struggling and think you could be eligible, you can apply through the discretionary scheme on the council website.

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