HARD-UP families can apply for vouchers to help pay for food and other essentials, and they can be spent at supermarkets.
The support comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421million.
Thousands of households can apply for supermarket vouchers before the deadlineGetty
The pot of cash has come from the government and has been shared between councils in England.
The level of support available differs across the country,
But Councils have to allocate the latest round of the Household Support Fund cash by March 31.
This means there is just days left to apply for this round of funding.
But if you miss out this time, don’t worry too much because the fund has been extended by the government.
Make sure you keep checking your local council’s website because they are likely to launch new schemes in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, we’ve listed five areas where you can get supermarket vouchers worth up to £500 now – but you’ll need to be quick.
Portsmouth
Portsmouth council is offering residents cash or vouchers as part of three new schemes under the Household Support Fund.
And one of those is £70 vouchers for struggling parents.
They can get one voucher per child to spend on food and household essentials.
To be eligible, families must:
Have missed out on earlier vouchers distributed by schools or nurseriesLive in the Portsmouth areaBe responsible for a child born on or after September 1 2006, or be at least 10 weeks pregnantBe eligible for the Healthy Start scheme or have total household earned and unearned income of below £935 per month (or £863 per 4 weeks if paid weekly)
If you think you may be eligible, you can apply online on the council’s website.
However, don’t worry if you don’t have children, there is still support you can access, including a £120 cost of living payment.
You could be entitled to the cash if:
You receive housing benefit and no other means-tested income benefit.You get universal credit or pension credit from a claim that started on September 26 2022 or later.
For people under pension age, who get disability living allowance or personal independence payments, there is £150 up for grabs.
Applications for these payments aren’t open yet, but make sure to keep an eye out on the council’s website for more information.
Plymouth
Residents eligible for the scheme who live in Plymouth could get between £147 and £180.
Plymouth residents can get help with food, energy bills, white goods and household furniture.
Those opting for supermarket vouchers can get up to £180 worth to spend in either Asda, Morrisons or Tesco.
If you’d rather have help with your energy bills, those on prepayment meters can get a top-up voucher worth £147.
Those on a standard credit meter can get a £150 voucher.
Some households can instead opt to apply for an essential appliance or household furniture, including delivery, installation, and old appliance removal where applicable
Households can only apply for these funds if they did not access support from the previous Household Support Fund between July 6 2022 and November 27 2022.
Only one application can be made per household.
Any applications received that do not meet the initial criteria will be rejected.
To apply, households must also fall into one of the eligible categories:
Households with at least one child under 18 who resides in the property on a permanent basisHouseholds where someone has a disability or a long-term health conditionHouseholds where someone has reached pension age
Kent
Medway Council, in Kent, is distributing supermarket and energy vouchers worth up to £210.
Eligible residents can get food and household essentials vouchers, but what you can get depends on your circumstances:
single person: £50household with two people: £70household with three people: £105household with four people: £140household with five people: £175household with six or more people: £210
Households in the area can also get energy vouchers regardless of whether they are on a prepayment meter or not.
And £50 vouchers are being offered to those struggling to pay their water bills too.
Different eligibility rules apply for each voucher so you should check out Medway Council’s website for further details.
To be eligible for the support you have to be a Medway resident, aged 16 or over and have less than £500 in your bank account as this proves you are in financial hardship.
You can apply for the vouchers on Medway Council’s website.
You’ll need some information to hand though, including your personal details, contact details, bank statements and your National Insurance number.
If you think you are in line for help, you should get in touch with the council as soon as possible.
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston council is giving out up to £500 of vouchers to spend at supermarkets to help hard-up families.
You can find the application form on its website.
The council has said on Twitter that households can get up to £500 to be used for food, household appliances, clothing.
You can email [email protected] for more options and what you could be entitled to.
Including that you receive benefits when you apply might help to show you have insufficient funds, however, earning benefits is not a necessity for acceptance.
Do note that if you’re a family receiving other grants too, you may still be eligible. Especially if you:
have additional wider needs in terms of food and utilitiesrequire other essential supplies include individual family members that are not in receipt of support
The latest round of vouchers is likely to be sent out to hundreds of households, according to the council.
Eastleigh
Eastleigh Borough Council is giving out £30 and £50 vouchers to spend at supermarkets to help hard-up families.
They are redeemable at Asda, Aldi, B&M, Farmfoods, Iceland, M&S, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
The vouchers will be issued directly to eligible recipients from mid-January, the council said.
Families who get Housing Benefit and don’t get Council Tax Support will get a £50 voucher per household.
While, those in receipt of Council Tax Support will get £30 per household.
Distribution and enquiries about the allocated vouchers have been contracted out to Wonde Ltd.
Eligible households can email [email protected], or head to the website help.evouchers.com.
Working age recipients will receive a letter with a QR code to claim the voucher online.
The council says an offline option can be made available in certain circumstances.
Pension age recipients will receive a physical voucher.
The nearest supermarket has been pre-selected for pensioners, based on the recipients’ postcode.
Any new qualifying recipients after the first distribution of food vouchers will be sent to Wonde Ltd on a weekly basis to issue vouchers until the funding is all used or by March 31, whichever comes first.
How can I save on my supermarket shop?
There are plenty of other ways to save on your supermarket shop.
You can try looking out for yellow or red stickers on products which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh you’ll have to eat it fast, or freeze it to have another time.
Sometimes even timing your shop to stock up just as items are discounted on the shelves can help you get the best bargains – lots of shoppers have said this is in the evening typically.
Making a list could save you some money too as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
That means going for “own” or “value” type products instead of “finest” or “luxury” lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes as well where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]