THOUSANDS of households are set to receive £70 supermarket vouchers over Christmas.
The help comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £421million.
The pot of money comes from central government and has been allocated to councils across England.
Councils then have to decide how they distribute their share of the cash.
That means what you’re entitled to will depend on where you live.
But, in most cases, money or vouchers are offered out to households on low incomes or benefits.
In Haringey, London, the council is giving families with children on free school meals £70 supermarket vouchers to tie them over during the Christmas period.
Local schools are giving the vouchers to eligible families.
A further £15 in vouchers is being given out to eligible households in the February half term next year.
Middlesbrough Council has already issued 9,000 £60 vouchers to parents whose children qualify for free school meals.
Plus, residents in York are in line for vouchers worth up to £300 to help them through the cost of living too.
Haringey Council is also giving eligible residents vouchers to be cashed at their nearest Post Office branch through the HSF.
The amount each resident gets will depend on their personal circumstances.
If you receive one of these vouchers, you have to take a form of identification with you to the post office to redeem them.
This can be a gas or electricity bill or bank statement dated within the last three months, a passport or driver’s licence, or debit or credit card in your name.
Can I get help if I don’t live in Haringey?
Yes. There’s plenty of help on offer across councils in England.
But, it’s a bit of a postcode lottery as to what you might get and how the money is paid to you.
Some councils are paying the money out in the form of vouchers which then need to be redeemed.
Others are making direct bank account transfers.
Some of the payments are being made before the end of the year.
But the deadline in a lot of areas to apply for help is March 31, 2023.
One thing to bear in mind though is that councils have been given a set amount of cash to give to eligible residents.
But once that money has run out, it’s gone.
So even if you have a while to apply, it’s worth getting in early to avoid missing out on any help.
Guildford residents could be in line for £300 worth of help, while thousands of households in Warrington are set to get a £40 bank account payment before Christmas.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
In other news, we reveal the cheapest place to get Quality Street and Celebrations chocolates this week.
Plus, the full list of over 800 postcodes in line for £50 payments following the recent cold weather.
