Eligible households are being handed vital cost of living payments this winter.
Households can get £90 vouchers to spend at supermarkets or put towards energy bills (Image: Getty Images)
Households in one part of the UK are being handed £90 supermarket and energy vouchers from this Thursday to help with the cost of living.
The vouchers are being awarded to eligible households in Kent as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Household Support Fund, which provides local councils across England with a share of a funding pot worth £742 million. The fund is to help vulnerable households afford essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills and food, with the money being awarded from now until March 31, 2026. Although this specific scheme applies in Kent, other local councils are giving out cost of living support in other parts of the UK too.
It is up to local councils in England to independently decide how to share the cash, so there may be different eligibility criteria depending on where you live.
In South East England, Kent County Council reopened the scheme on Thursday, January 8, and confirmed that eligible households will be awarded £90 vouchers that can be used towards energy costs, or spent at supermarkets as part of the scheme.
Only households who are struggling with rising living costs will be eligible for the free support, which includes those in receipt of means-tested benefits, or with a household income of £33,000 or less per year.
Those who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for the vouchers via the council’s website and if you qualify, you’ll be sent a £90 voucher towards energy or food costs.
Kent County Council said: “If you qualify, we will issue your household with either an energy voucher or supermarket food voucher to the value of £90 which can be redeemed towards your energy costs, food and essential household items.
“This funding is for those in need and for those who are struggling with rising living costs. One application is permitted per household. Applicants are reminded that this is taxpayers’ money so please spend it wisely on food and essential household items only. We will send the vouchers to you either by email or SMS text, directly from our voucher partner Evouchers.com.
“If you don’t have access to the internet or email, the vouchers can be posted to your home address. Energy support is only available to applicants who are the named energy bill payer and have email and smartphone access. Postal vouchers will take additional time to process and will be sent via recorded delivery, for which a signature will be required.”
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, Leicestershire County Council is also awarding fuel vouchers worth up to £98 to households that are struggling financially, and in the East of England, Cambridgeshire County Council is issuing £110 to eligible households in the form of direct payments or supermarket vouchers.
