Get £175 supermarket vouchers this October with the Household Support Fund
Aneira Davies
Social and newsletter writerEligible households could receive £175 in vouchers to put towards their food bills this autumn
Thousands of families on low incomes are to be given extra financial help in the form of £175 supermarket vouchers this October – and they could prove a lifeline come the autumn half term.
The help comes from the Household Support Fund (HSF) – a Government scheme to help support local communities. Local councils have been given a share of an £842million cash pot to support low-income families in their area.
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Each council decides how they spend their portion of the money, with some councils giving out supermarket vouchers or cash, while are helping in more practical ways, by giving families in their area air fryers or slow cookers so they can reduce energy bills.
Ealing Council is the latest local council to decide how it will allocate its money – and will give struggling families a £175 supermarket voucher to help with food costs amid the cost of living crisis.
Who is eligible?
The council will hand out vouchers to eligible families in October. Residents in Ealing will need to be claiming housing benefits or council tax support but NOT Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits.
Eligible households will get the first of 2 supermarket vouchers worth £175 in October. A second payment of the same amount will follow in February 2024, according to Ealing Council's website.
Households in 'non residential care where council contributes to care costs' will get a £100 voucher in October 2023, with a second to follow in February 2024.
Help for families with children
In addition to the above vouchers, Ealing council is also helping families whose children receive benefits-related free school meals, based on low income.
Eligible families will get supermarket vouchers of £15 per child in October 2023, which will also come from the Household Support Fund. This is to help with the cost of meals during half term.
Similarly, any families with children under the age of 5, who get housing benefit and/or council tax reduction, will get £15 per household in supermarket vouchers.
Care leavers in Ealing will also be given £50 of supermarket vouchers in October 2023.
Further payments in the form of supermarket vouchers will follow in December, for low-income families with children and care leavers.
Will I need to apply for the vouchers?
No, you won't need to apply. If you're eligible for the extra help, then you'll be given the vouchers automatically and contacted by Ealing Council's partner, Blackhawk, or the Post Office, with details of how to get your vouchers.
Other help for residents of Ealing
If you don't fit into any of the above categories and live in Ealing, then you may still be able to claim some financial help, in the form of the local welfare assistance fund – a discretionary payment for households who are facing financial hardship.
Ealing Council's website states:
'Extra local welfare assistance funding has been made available for households who do not fit into any of the 3 groups listed above.
'You will need to apply for this help. If you are facing financial hardship, apply for local welfare assistance.
'Local welfare assistance is a discretionary support scheme. The fund is there to help people to try to maintain an independent life or for those facing an immediate financial crisis.'
Can I get help if I don't live in Ealing?
Yes, you may be eligible for a cash boost if you live elsewhere in the country.
It all depends on what help your local council is offering and what their eligibility criteria is.
Kent County Council, for example, is offering £100 supermarket vouchers to its residents . These will be sent out in the post, on email or by text.
Meanwhile, residents of Dorset will be given £150 worth of supermarket vouchers to spend in a variety of shops, including ASDA and B&M – to help ease the cost of living expenses.
In Newcastle, the local authority is distributing its share of the Household Support Fund to residents on Housing Benefit who are not eligible for the Government's £900 cost of living payment, in the form of a cash grant.
While households in North Somerset could get up to £120 in free vouchers, with those with 2 children able to get £240. It's for people who are 'experiencing financial hardship' and who claim council tax support, or whose children claim free school meals.
You can see a full list of what support is available, area by area, here.
More financial help
If you're struggling financially, we've got plenty of tips and advice that may help.
Worried about the rest of the summer holidays? We've got the lowdown on all the benefits you could be entitled to here.
Bringing kids up on your own? Here are all the benefits and financial support for single parents in 2023.
Or head to our Cost of Living Hub for information on what benefits and entitlements you may be able to claim, whatever your circumstances.
We've also got tips from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, or chat to other parents in our Netmums Forum below.
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