Funding from the DWP is distributed by local councils across England from now until March 31, 2026, and it is up to councils to independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support.

In the East Midlands, Leicestershire County Council has confirmed it will be issuing supermarket vouchers to eligible households as part of the scheme.

Households with children can get vouchers worth £20 per adult per week, plus £15 per child per week, for a maximum of two weeks.

So a family of four with two adults and two children can get up to £170 in supermarket vouchers over a fortnight, while households with more adults and children would get even more.

Single households can get £25 in supermarket vouchers per week, for a maximum of two weeks, giving those who are eligible up to £50 to spend in stores.

Meanwhile, households with multiple adults can get £20 in supermarket vouchers per adult per week, for a maximum of two weeks.

The council has confirmed that the vouchers can be spent in any of 10 major supermarkets, which include Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

Leicestershire County Council said: “If you are in receipt of food vouchers, you will receive instructions on how to claim your vouchers online. The code must be used to get the full amount of vouchers in one go. The vouchers are valid for three months from the date they are sent to you by Evouchers.

“If you are struggling to access your vouchers because you don’t have access to the internet or a mobile device to receive and store the vouchers on, and don’t have any friends or family to help, then your vouchers will be sent to the professional submitting your application.

“Food vouchers can be used in any of these supermarkets chains and you can choose the most convenient supermarket for you:

• Aldi
• Asda
• B&M
• Farmfoods
• Iceland
• Marks & Spencer
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose.”
  

Households cannot make a direct application for the support, as a referral must be made instead from a professional support worker or agency. The council has confirmed that it will be pausing applications for the support on Friday, December 19, to allow all vouchers to be issued before Christmas. The fund will then reopen to application on January 5, 2026.

As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, it means that the cost of living support available will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country.

The payments may also be issued at different times depending on where you live, so it’s possible for some to receive the support in time for Christmas, while others may have a longer wait.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.

For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.

In the East Midlands, households in Nottingham can apply for £100 vouchers to spend in supermarkets, while in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs and other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.

In the East of England, Cambridgeshire County Council is issuing £110 to eligible households in the form of direct payments or supermarket vouchers, while residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get payments of up to £130 to help with living costs.