THOUSANDS of households struggling with the cost of living can get up to £390 in vouchers to pay for food over the summer holidays.
You can get the help via the Household Support Fund (HSF) if you receive free school meals or are on a number of benefits.
1
The HSF is a pot of money from the government that has been allocated to councils in England.
But what you can get depends on where you live as not all local councils have been given the same amount of money.
In some cases though, households are being offered supermarket vouchers to help cover the cost of food while their children are off school.
Some of the help is specifically targeted at those on free school meals, while in other cases it’s for people on certain benefits.
But you will usually be receiving free school meals if you are on benefits and a low income.
Here are the councils handing out supermarket vouchers to households in need over the summer holidays.
Bracknell Forest
Thousands in Bracknell Forest can get help paying pay for food, utility bills and other essentials.
Eligible residents with two children could get up to two supermarket vouchers worth £195 each – £390 in total.
Most read in Money
To be considered for the vouchers you have to be claiming one of the following benefits:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Pension Credit (guaranteed element)
- Tax credits
- Universal Credit
Your child must also meet one of the following criteria:
- Child is under 5 years old in an early years setting
- Child is 16 to 18 years old in full-time education
- Young person is aged 16 to 25 years old in full-time education with an Education, Health and Care plan
- Child is home educated
- Child attends an out of borough school where they are not eligible for equivalent support from their education authority
A maximum of one £195 voucher per child can be awarded during the period April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
The council will either get in touch to let you know you can apply for the vouchers, or you will receive help automatically.
Those who live in Bracknell Forest and think they’re eligible for the Household Support Fund will need to apply by filling in an online form, which is on the council’s website.
Dorset
Dorset Council is offering thousands of residents supermarket vouchers worth £150 to help with the cost of living.
The vouchers are being allocated by the Dorset Citizens Advice branch but you can apply via the Dorset Council website too.
Eligible residents can apply for the help from four dates:
- June 6, 2023
- July 4, 2023
- August 2, 2023
- September 7, 2023
Once all the vouchers have been allotted for each window it will close, so you have to be quick. Applications open at 9am on each date.
You can’t apply for the vouchers within six months of a previous application.
So, if you applied for help in November 2022 you won’t be eligible for this round until May 2023 onwards.
You’ll need ID documents ready to upload when applying, including your birth certificate, driving licence, passport and council tax bill.
You can only claim one £150 voucher per household.
Successful applicants will receive their vouchers within six to eight weeks of applying.
If you need help completing the online application you can call the Dorset Council customer service team on 01305 221000 or email them on [email protected].
Nottingham
Nottingham City Council is giving households with children who are eligible for free school meals £15 weekly vouchers to cover the summer months.
Parents with two children will be in line for up to £30 worth of vouchers per week.
The vouchers will be sent to all parents with children in reception, year one and year two.
Those with older children will only be eligible for the supermarket vouchers if they receive certain benefits which are listed on the Nottingham City Council website.
The vouchers will be sent digitally from your child’s school or via Edenred.
A 16-digit code can be redeemed online across a selection of supermarkets including:
- Aldi
- Asda
- Farmfoods
- Iceland
- McColl’s (including RS McColl’s and Martin’s)
- M&S food
- Morrisons
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- The Company Shop
- Waitrose
What are free school meals?
Free school meals are available to millions of pupils across England, Scotland and Wales.
The idea behind them is that children get access to at least one nutritional meal per day from Monday to Friday.
But the criteria to get them varies across all three countries.
Scotland and Wales have committed to eventually rolling out the benefit for all primary school pupils.
At present in Scotland, all students can get free school meals between reception and year five, regardless of the parents’ income.
In Wales, all pupils in reception get free school meals, and by the end of the year, this offer will be extended to all year one and two pupils.
By the end of 2024, all primary school pupils in Wales will get free school meals.
In England, all children in reception, year one and two can get a free meal in school.
After that point, you will have to be receiving certain benefits which prove you need help paying for your child’s meals.
You might get free school meals in England for a children beyond Year 2 if you receive one of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Tax Credits
- Universal Credit
In all three nations, you qualify if you are in receipt of certain benefits regardless of income including: income support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
In England and Wales, this also includes the guaranteed element of Pension Credit, and working tax credit.
But for millions of families on Universal Credit, there are income requirements.
In England and Wales, you must have an income of £7,400 a year or less, not including benefits.
Those on child tax credits must earn under £16,190 a year.
Because eligibility criteria can be quite varied, it’s best to contact your local council and see what you might be in line for, especially if you are on a low income.
How can I apply?
The application process for free school meals is different depending on where you live.
In England, you can find out whether your child is eligible on your local council’s website.
If your child is entitled to free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme, which offers support over school holidays.
If you don’t know what council area you fall under, you should use the government’s council locator tool found online.
You should apply through your local council if you live in Wales and Scotland too.
In Northern Ireland, residents have to contact the Education Authority to get any help.
