Thousands of parents to get £35 free cash to spend at supermarkets in time for Christmas

THOUSANDS of parents can get £35 of free supermarket vouchers to spend on food and essentials.

The help is being dished out under a new round of £421million funding given by the government to the Household Support Fund.

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Councils have been given a slice of the new pot of funding on offer, which will be given out to struggling residents to help pay for bills and essentials.

Cash-strapped households in the Peterborough City Council can get £35 towards their weekly shop.

Households can get one voucher for each child claiming free school meals, 2-year-olds accessing funded childcare, students eligible for a 16 to 19 bursary, or 3 and 4-year-olds receiving the Early Years Pupil Premium benefit.

Any child eligible for the support by January 2, 2023, will be able to claim a voucher.

The vouchers will be issued by midnight on Saturday, December 17, by either text or email.

Peterborough City Council said the voucher does not need to be spent on a single shopping trip, but it has to be redeemed by January 27, 2023.

It’s best to check in with Peterborough City Council to get more information about the scheme and if you are eligible.

Make sure you have information to hand about your financial situation, like any payslips or benefit payments you get.

Can I get support if I don’t live in the area?

Yes – councils across the UK have their own Household Support Fund struggling households can apply to.

For example, Torbay Council is giving eligible cash-strapped residents a maximum of £50 towards food, and where necessary, another £50 towards energy bills.

In Coventry, households can claim a one-off supermarket voucher worth £36.

Meanwhile, in Kensington and Chelsea residents can grab up to £150 to help cover household bills, food and clothing.

How do I apply for the help?

Each council will have a different application process.

That means you should check in with your local council to see how to apply for the help in your area.

Check who your local council is using the gov.uk authority checker tool.

Those eligible for help may get it automatically but others have to apply – check with your council to see.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Household Support Fund.

There are also three areas giving out EXTRA cost of living support and here’s how to claim it.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk