Thousands of families to get food vouchers worth up to £200 – check if you’re eligible & exact date you need to act
THOUSANDS of families battling the cost-of-living crunch could have £200 worth of food vouchers coming their way.
The government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) is delivering grants to local authorities around the country, who then decide how to pass on the funding to their hard-up residents.
Slough Borough Council has received a £1,177,691 slice of the support package and is inviting residents to apply with vouchers available from now until September 30.
Slough, located slightly west of Heathrow Airport in Berkshire, is tabling £10 food vouchers – per week per child.
The vouchers will be offered to families receiving free school meals during the summer holidays.
And with 10 weeks to go until September 30, that could total £100 per child, or £200 for families with two kids.
The council has also promised to directly support families and other residents who are eligible.
It said bringing down the bills and helping with essential housing costs was the priority, with most of the support to come in the form of online vouchers for “goods or services”.
Aside from help buying food, vouchers for household bills and assistance with fuel payments will be awarded by the council.
Slough warns only its vulnerable residents are in line for the financial leg-up.
They include those who receive non-means tested benefits and disabled people with increasing expenses caused by using equipment or transport.
Those who are entitled to benefits – but aren’t claiming them – would also be entitled to funding.
In less clearly defined criteria, “groups vulnerable to rising prices” are also encouraged to apply, but would need to prove a lack of savings, reduction in income, or lack of resources to support a family.
Councillor Mabu Shaik said: “This funding has strict rules about what it can be used for, which is why most of it is given through vouchers for food shops or energy bills.
“You can apply for a one off award, even if you have applied and received support from previous funding before. Each application is assessed against the eligibility criteria.”
Local authorities around the country have been announcing support measures in recent months after the HSF was extended in March for a further six months, taking the funding through to September.
It was originally launched by the government in October 2021 as a temporary cost-of-living relief measure but has been extended several times since.
In other recent announcements by local authorities, households in Cambridgeshire in need of support can apply for a financial award of £110 per household.
Leicestershire residents can apply for a financial award of £300 per household, which will be paid in the form of vouchers to support with gas, electricity and food.
Meanwhile, those in Shropshire can apply for a £400 if they currently receive tax support.
Each local authority is given a dividend of the funding so it’s worth checking your council’s website or ringing them up to find out how their support strategy – and whether you are eligible.
How has the Household Support Fund evolved?
THE Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help Brits pay their way through winter amid the cost of living crisis.
Councils up and down the country got a slice of the £500million funding available to dish out to Brits in need.
It was then extended for a second time in the 2022 Spring Budget and for a third time in October 2022 to help those on the lowest incomes with the rising cost of living.
The DWP then confirmed a fourth extension of the scheme through to March 31, 2024.
Chancellor Jeremey Hunt extended the HSF for the fifth time while delivering his Spring Budget on March 6, 2024.
