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Thousands of families facing ‘sad reality’ of cost of living crisis can get supermarket vouchers worth £65 NOW
Found out which other benefits are available to you below
THOUSANDS of families struggling with the cost of living crisis can apply for supermarket vouchers worth £65.
In a bid to ease the pressure of increasing costs over the coming months, the Government has provided extra benefits in its latest round of the Household Support Fund scheme.
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Local councils are often provided with a pot of money to distribute around their local area and families in Nottingham, in particular, can now take full advantage.
Nottingham City Council has announced that £3.5million is to be used to support struggling pensioners, families and the city’s most vulnerable households.
This will be provided in the form of supermarket and energy support vouchers, reports.
Supermarket vouchers worth £50 will be made available for vulnerable households and those on a low income.
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Those under the same criteria can also apply for two energy support vouchers worth £49 each.
Online applications for supermarket and energy support vouchers opened on Wednesday (May 22), so these can be applied for immediately.
Nottingham residents are advised to be quick, however, with the vouchers served on a first come, first served basis.
Councillor Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education at Nottingham City Council, said: “I would urge anyone who is struggling financially to find out what support they may be eligible for and apply for it as soon as possible, as these are limited on a first come, first served basis.
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"Our website also provides further advice and avenues for support for those who may need it.”
The HSF offers help to the most hard-up households and has been extended several times since it was introduced by Government in 2021.
Funding is given to local councils to distribute, so the support available varies across the country.
But, families with children receiving free school meals may be in line to receive vouchers to help with grocery and other essential costs during the May half term and summer holiday.
Levels of support vary depending on local council and personal situation, so it's worth checking your council's website to ensure you receive all the help available.
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What is Nottingham Council doing?
Nottingham council will be releasing 4,000 Digital Supermarket Vouchers each month from May to September to enable support to continue until the end of the HSF5 period.
The next dates on which you can apply again are:
- June 3, 2024
- July 1
- August 1
- September 2
Children who are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) are also legible for Supermarket Vouchers.
More than 19,000 FSM children in Nottingham will also continue to get supermarket vouchers for the May and summer holidays.
A £15 Supermarket Voucher for May half term holiday has been made available, while a one-off £50 Supermarket Voucher for the summer holiday period, prior to the end of term in July 2024, can also be applied for.
As part of the deal, free half-term activities have been made available through the Holiday Activity Fund.
You can find out more information on how to apply and whether you qualify on the website.
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Household Support Fund (HSF) was first introduced in October 2021 and has been extended five times, to September 2024.
The latest round of funding is worth £421million to councils in England.
Who qualifies and the level of support given is a postcode lottery, as each local authority can set its own criteria for distributing the funds.
However, if you have a limited amount of money or savings in the bank, are classed as vulnerable or are on benefits, you will likely qualify for help.
What support is available
The support provided varies from council to council, so its worth checking the schemes your local council has in place to make sure you receive all the assistance available.
For example, in Hertfordshire funds have also been made available to support households on low incomes facing immediate financial crisis, provide help with energy costs and support food banks.
You can find what council area you fall under by using the Government's tool on its website.
You don't need to worry about additional support impacting existing benefits, as these will be unaffected by payments from the HSF.
And, you do not need necessarily need to be in receipt of benefits to receive vouchers or funds from the HSF.
Check with your local council to find out what support is available and the eligibility criteria.
How do you apply?
To get the help, you'll need to check with your council - as local authorities are in charge of distributing the funding.
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Information on how to apply for the funding should be published on your council's website. Each council will have a different application process.
Many councils won't actually require you to apply for the help and will contact you about it, or issue vouchers via email or your child's school
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