Thousands of families have just days left to claim up to £125 voucher before Christmas

THOUSANDS of families have only a matter of days left to claim a voucher worth up to £125 for food and other essentials in time for Christmas.

Families struggling to make ends meet during one of the most expensive times of the year can get help under the government’s new £500million Household Support Fund.

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Households can apply for the help through their council, as local authorities are in charge of dishing out the funds.

It will help cash-strapped Brits get by after millions on Universal Credit saw their payments slashed by £20 a week following the cut to the benefit uplift.

Plus, families are battling against soaring bills from food and energy to fuel and household essentials as a cost of living crisis continues, leaving one in 10 struggling to get by.

The help you can get through the Household Support Fund depends on who your council is and your individual circumstances.

This is because councils dish out the help on a case-by-case basis, and each authority decides what kind of support they will offer to households.

But The Sun has spotted that some families could get up to £125 in vouchers to help them buy food and household essentials in time for Christmas.

Households who live in the North Yorkshire County Council area can get the £125 voucher by December 17, and a separate voucher in January next year.

It means in total you could get up to £250 in free cash in total to help get by.

Those who are eligible for the help will have already received a letter from North Yorkshire County Council.

You are eligible for the help if you have had your council tax reduced through the authority’s support scheme, and you have a child under the age of 19 living at home with you.

You will have been given a unique code in your letter to include in an online form to fill out for the help – which you must do by December 17 to get your first £125 voucher before Christmas.

If you miss this cut-off point, you will get a £250 voucher in January – so you can’t get the help over Christmas.

If you think you’re eligible for the support but haven’t received a letter, get in touch with the council who will check whether you can apply.

You can use your vouchers at shops including Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer.

If you don’t live in the North Yorkshire County Council area, then check what help your local council is offering under the Household Support Scheme.

You can find who your local council is by using the gov.uk council checker tool.

The Sun has spotted other councils offering free cash and support for bills too.

You can get vouchers to help with your energy bills worth up to £120 if you live in West Northamptonshire.

While families in Manchester can get up to £100 in free cash for Christmas.

Plus, Spelthorne council is offering up to £80 to residents in the Surrey district.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk