‘Don’t bin it’ warning for thousands of households sent £80 vouchers to spend at supermarkets including Asda and M&S

THOUSANDS of households that qualify for free vouchers could be about to lose them.

The help comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is a cost of living boost worth £842million.

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Residents in Eastleigh are now being urged not to miss out on their piece of the benefit.

Those who qualify will receive food vouchers which can be spent at supermarkets.

The central pot of money has come from the Government and is being shared across councils in England, they will distribute their share to residents in need.

That means what you are entitled to varies depending on where you live, although in most cases help is being offered to those on a low income or benefits such as Universal Credit.

Some local authorities are making bank transfers while others are offering help in the way of food or utility bill vouchers.

Those who qualify in Eastleigh borough will automatically receive instructions in their mail on how to get the vouchers in mid-December.

Working-age recipients will receive a letter with a QR code inside, while pensioners will receive a physical voucher.

Approximately 5000 households will qualify for the £50 voucher, while another 550 will qualify for the £80 voucher, according to the council’s website.

If you need to contact anyone, you can email: [email protected], or find the help centre at: https://help.evouchers.com

So, Eastleigh residents should keep an eye on the mailbox and make sure they don’t bin anything from the council.

Any leftover or returned vouchers will be given to the Eastleigh pantry for their use.

Who else can get help?

You can still get help if you don’t live in the areas mentioned above.

In most cases, if you’re on benefits like Universal Credit or Income Support, you’ll be in line for help via the HSF.

But you should contact your local council to see what is on offer.

If you don’t know what local authority area you fall under, you can use the government’s locator tool on its website.

You just have to type in your postcode and it will bring up your local council.

What other help is coming?

There’s other financial help at hand beyond the Household Support Fund.

Millions of pensioners are in line for a bumper Winter Fuel Payment over the colder months.

The cash boost started being distributed from November 1 and all should be made by the end of December.

You qualify for the payment if you were born on or before September 25, 1957, and lived in the UK for at least one day during the week of 18 to 24 September 2023, known as the qualifying week.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk