Thousands of households can get £75 in FREE cash for groceries this summer – check if you can claim
THOUSANDS of struggling households can get £75 in supermarket vouchers this summer to help ease the pinch.
If you need help making ends meet as bills spiral, you can apply to your local council's Household Support Fund.
, which has had £1.5billion piled into it so far, sees local authorities given a slice of funding to dish out to hard-up residents.
It aims to help households pay for spiralling bills like energy and groceries, as a crippling cost of living crisis hits the nation's finances.
Energy bills are expected to hit just shy of £3,000 by the end of this year, while food bills are soaring due to rocketing inflation.
Help you can get under the scheme varies depending on where you live.
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That's because each council decides how to distribute the cash to those who need it most.
Thousands of households can get £75 in supermarket vouchers from Portsmouth City Council this summer - here's how to claim.
How do I get £75 supermarket vouchers?
You'll need to check if Portsmouth City Council is your local authority in order to be able to apply for the help.
Use the 's council checker tool to see who your local authority is.
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You will qualify for the help if you have children who qualify for free school meals.
Children who are eligible for free school meals must be parents who claim benefits - see the full list here.
Your child must be aged from reception age to year 11.
You should have been told by your child's school that you are eligible for the help.
There's no need to apply - the vouchers arrive through the post automatically.
Contact your child's local school if you have not yet received information about the scheme.
Separately under the scheme, the council will also be contacting 6,000 hard-up pensioners who are eligible for a £100 payment in August.
Again, there's no need to apply for this help - you'll get it automatically if you are eligible.
Can I get help if I don't live in Portsmouth?
Yes - each local authority runs its own scheme you can apply to.
To find out what support is on offer in your area, speak directly to your local council, or visit its website for more details.
For example, Torbay Council offers residents a maximum amount of £50 towards food or energy bills.
While Derby council is offering £120 in cash to struggling residents.
If you find you're not eligible but still need support, you can apply for other help schemes to get money for groceries.
Parents and mums-to-be can make the most of the Healthy Start scheme.
You can claim money to put towards milk, vegetables and other fridge essentials.
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While the welfare assistance programme sees councils give out cash and vouchers to help them pay for essential bills.
You can get up to £1,000 in the East Riding of Yorkshire.