Household support fund

The funding for the Household Support Fund is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

This has been extended to 31 March 2023.

Our scheme will provide:

• a food voucher for households with school aged children for Christmas 2022 and the half-term holiday in February 2023
• a one-off payment of £80 to eligible households in receipt of Local Council Tax Support
• a one-off payment of £100 to care leavers
• an online application form for households with extenuating circumstances

You can find the full eligibility criteria in our policy.

If your household is eligible,  you do not need to apply. You'll receive a letter from the Post Office with a bar code from the Post Office - you will need to take this letter and identification to a Post Office to receive your payment. Find out more about the Post Office Payout service.

The Post Office will issue the letters in December - we ask that you claim the payment as soon as your letter arrives.

If you don't receive a letter but your household has extenuating circumstances or you're experiencing severe financial hardship, you can apply online.

Some examples of households that can apply:

• someone living in your home has a long-term health condition - for example, they need home oxygen therapy which uses a constant supply of fuel to operate
• your household is large and has higher energy bills - for example five or more people
• your property is not energy efficient - for example you have no double glazing, you're not on duel fuel or on mains supply, your home has an EPC band F or G rating
• your household are on a low income but just above the threshold to claim state benefits like Universal Credit