Thousands of households have just WEEKS to cash in free £75 vouchers – check how to claim

THOUSANDS of households must act now to avoid missing out on free cash.

There are just weeks left to claim £75 vouchers that can help pay for food and other essentials.

Pendle Borough Council previously issued Household Support Fund vouchers to help those struggling financially with food, bills and other expenditure.

A total of 2,600 vouchers were issued in June but some have still not been redeemed.

The council has posted a reminder on Facebook warning those who haven't cashed in their voucher to do so before September 7.

Anyone who meets the following criteria could be eligible for a £75 voucher.

They must:

• live in the Borough of Pendle and
• are pensionable age and
• who get Council Tax Support

The Household Support Fund (HSF) was first set up in October 2021 and has now been extended five times.

Councils in England are now able to benefit from the latest round of funding costing £421 million.

Nationwide councils have received a portion of the cash to distribute to households in need.

But there is a postcode lottery to determine who qualifies and each local authority can set its own eligibility criteria.

Yet if you have a limited amount of money or savings in the bank, or are deemed to be vulnerable or on benefits, you will probably qualify for help.

Each local authority can decide on its own eligibility criteria and who qualifies for support.

The HSF was recently extended in the Government's Spring Budget until September and councils have already opened for applications.

For example, households in Leicestershire can apply for a financial award of £300 per household, which will be paid in the form of vouchers to support with gas, electricity and food.

The payment can be delivered as a Post Office voucher, which can be redeemed for cash to help with gas, electricity or water, or an e-voucher to help with food costs that can be converted to a gift card for major supermarkets.

Recipients will need to be  referred from a professional support worker or agency and payment will be made on acceptance.

Meanwhile, residents of Leeds who receive council tax support with dependent children can claim up to £100, while those without children could receive £25.