THOUSANDS of families can get free meal and food vouchers worth £500 over the school holidays.
The help comes via the whopping £742million Household Support Fund (HSF) which has been shared between councils in England.
Households can get food vouchers over the summer holidays[/caption]
Local authorities are currently in the process of deciding who to distribute help to and what form it will take.
Support is usually offered to those on a low income, benefits or classed as vulnerable.
Some councils are paying money directly into eligible households’ bank accounts while others are issuing energy vouchers.
But some are giving hard-up families free meal or food vouchers over the summer holidays.
Here are all the councils distributing help.
Bristol City Council
Bristol City Council has confirmed it will give vouchers to free school meal and Pupil Premium children during all school holidays until at least March 2026.
The local authority says vouchers will be sent from the school by email.
Anyone who doesn’t receive them should contact their school directly to find out when they will be sent.
The council has not revealed how much the vouchers are worth.
However, £30 vouchers were issued over the two-week Christmas break so are likely to be worth more over the summer holidays.
You can find out more information via www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/benefits-and-financial-help/household-support-fund.
Ribble Valley Borough Council
Ribble Valley Borough Council has opened its latest round of HSF and is offering households payments worth hundreds of pounds.
Households with a combined income of less than £35,000 per year can apply for food vouchers ranging from £200 to £500.
Vouchers are being distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis with only one application allowed per household.
Priority is being given to new applicants, with households who received a voucher through the HSF round that ran between April and September 2024 only able to apply through this round from October.
You can find out more via www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/help-households/household-support-fund.
Hartlepool Borough Council
Hartlepool Borough Council is awarding £100 food vouchers to hard-up households.
The vouchers are being distributed to families where a child is aged between two and 19 and eligible for free school meals.
You can find out more about the latest round of HSF on the council’s website www.hartlepool.gov.uk.
Tameside Council
Tameside Council is spending around 60% of its HSF allocation on school holiday meal vouchers worth £15 a week.
Pupils in post-16 education at Tameside College or Ashton Sixth Form won’t be eligible for vouchers.
Further details are yet to be revealed by the council, however any updates will be posted on its website.
Visit www.tameside.gov.uk/householdsupportfund for further information.
Bracknell Forest Council
Bracknell Forest Council is taking applications for cost of living vouchers for families with children on free school meals.
Supermarket vouchers are being issued automatically through schools.
The council has not said how much the vouchers are worth.
Kent County Council
Kent County Council is running a “summer food voucher scheme”, worth £90 to eligible households.
The scheme will stay open until August but may close earlier if all available funds are allocated.
You can refer yourself to the scheme or be referred by someone else.
You have to meet certain criteria to qualify for help through the scheme.
This includes being aged 16 or over, living in Kent, receiving means-tested benefits or having a household income of £33,000 or less a year.
You also cannot apply if you have a child on free school meals.
Further details can be found via www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/cost-of-living-support/urgent-financial-help-and-extra-support/household-support-fund.
Can I get help if I live outside these areas?
Put simply, yes. However, it will depend on your circumstances and where you live.
The Household Support Fund was set up to help households cover essentials such as energy or water bills and food costs.
But, each council can set its own eligibility criteria meaning whether you qualify for help is a postcode lottery.
That said, funding is aimed at anyone who’s vulnerable or struggling to pay for essentials.
So, if you are financially hard-up or on benefits, it is likely you will be able to get help.
It’s worth bearing in mind, any help you receive via the Household Support Fund won’t affect your benefit payments.
Some councils are allocating their share of the fund to community groups and charities who you have to get in touch with.
If you’re on benefits, have limited savings, or are struggling to cover food and energy bills, it’s worth seeing if you’re eligible for help.
You can find out more via www.gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council.
Household Support Fund explained
Sun Savers Editor Lana Clements explains what you need to know about the Household Support Fund.
If you’re battling to afford energy and water bills, food or other essential items and services, the Household Support Fund can act as a vital lifeline.
The financial support is a little-known way for struggling families to get extra help with the cost of living.
Every council in England has been given a share of £742million cash by the government to distribute to local low income households.
Each local authority chooses how to pass on the support. Some offer vouchers whereas others give direct cash payments.
In many instances, the value of support is worth hundreds of pounds to individual families.
Just as the support varies between councils, so does the criteria for qualifying.
Many councils offer the help to households on selected benefits or they may base help on the level of household income.
The key is to get in touch with your local authority to see exactly what support is on offer.
The current round runs until the end of March 2026.
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