Struggling households are being offered funds to help cover food costs this winter.
Eligible households can get a £65 supermarket voucher to spend in stores (Image: Getty)
Households in one part of the UK are being handed £65 supermarket vouchers to spend in stores, with more money available from local councils in other parts of the country.
The vouchers are to help eligible households that are struggling financially with food costs this winter, with the free vouchers being issued as part of the government’s Household Support Fund. The scheme gives local councils across England a share of a funding pot worth £742 million to support vulnerable homes with essential living costs, including energy bills and food. The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live there may be different eligibility criteria to receive the support.
n the West Midlands, Staffordshire County Council and Lichfield District Council are providing supermarket vouchers worth £65 to eligible households.
Lichfield Council says households that are facing “exceptional financial hardship” may be eligible for a £65 supermarket voucher, plus £20 for each additional dependent child, or person you care for.
The council explains: “If you are facing exceptional financial hardship, particularly if you have not been eligible for other government support, you may be eligible for a £65 supermarket voucher and £20 for each additional dependant, child, or person you care for, as part of the household support fund. To be eligible you must be able to demonstrate you are facing financial hardship.
“You cannot apply direct, but you can ask local organisations including Staffordshire County Council, Lichfield District Council and the Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) to refer you to the Staffordshire Cares team.”
Staffordshire County Council is offering households the same support through its supermarket eVoucher scheme.
The council said: “This scheme will see eligible households benefit from a supermarket eVoucher for £65 per household and £20 per additional dependent, e.g. child under 18 years of age.”
Households in need of support that think they may be eligible for the scheme can contact the council by emailing householdsupportfund@staffordshire.gov.uk.
As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, the cost of living support that’s available varies by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs across the country. 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 East Riding can get a £250 payment to help with food, energy and other essential costs via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.
North Yorkshire Council is issuing £190 cost of living payments to eligible households from October 8 to spend across nine different supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and M&S.
In West Yorkshire, Leeds City Council is issuing payments of up to £120 to eligible low income households in Leeds, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, and Wakefield Council is providing £70 supermarket vouchers to eligible pensioners receiving Council Tax Support.
Elsewhere, households in Nottingham can get energy vouchers worth £98 and supermarket vouchers worth £75, amounting to £173 worth of support, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get £130.
