£90 supermarket and energy vouchers sent to UK households | Personal Finance | Finance
Eligible households are being sent £90 supermarket and energy vouchers (Image: Getty)
Households in one area of the UK are being sent £90 supermarket and energy vouchers to help with the cost of living.
The vouchers are being awarded to eligible households in Kent as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Household Support Fund, which provides local councils across England with a share of a £742 million funding pot. The fund is to support struggling households with essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills and food, with the money being awarded from now until the scheme ends on March 31, 2026. While this specific scheme applies in Kent, other local councils are giving out cost-of-living support in other parts of the UK too.
It is up to local councils in England to independently decide how to share the cash, so there may be different eligibility criteria depending on where you live. In South East England, Kent County Council is sending eligible households £90 vouchers that can be spent at supermarkets or put towards energy bills as part of the scheme.
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Only households who are struggling with rising living costs will qualify for the free support, which includes those in receipt of means-tested benefits, or with a household income of £33,000 or less per year.
Those who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for the vouchers via the council’s website and if you qualify, you’ll be sent a £90 voucher either by email, SMS text or post..
Kent County Council said: “If you qualify, we will issue your household with either an energy voucher or supermarket food voucher to the value of £90 which can be redeemed towards your energy costs, food and essential household items.
“This funding is for those in need and for those who are struggling with rising living costs. One application is permitted per household. Applicants are reminded that this is taxpayers’ money so please spend it wisely on food and essential household items only.
“We will send the vouchers to you either by email or SMS text, directly from our voucher partner Evouchers.com. If you don’t have access to the internet or email, the vouchers can be posted to your home address. Energy support is only available to applicants who are the named energy bill payer and have email and smartphone access.
“Postal vouchers will take additional time to process and will be sent via recorded delivery, for which a signature will be required.”
As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, cost of living support that is available will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country depending on where you live.
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The 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 Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total, and residents of State Pension age in North Lincolnshire are being offered free air fryers, slow cookers and kettles.
In the East Midlands, households in Nottingham can apply for £100 vouchers to spend in supermarkets, and in South Yorkshire, Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, while other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.
In the East of England, Cambridgeshire County Council is issuing £110 to eligible households in the form of direct payments or supermarket vouchers, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get payments of up to £130 to help with living costs.
