Low income households to get £180 cost of living vouchers within days – check if you qualify
We reveal what other help you can if you're on a low income below
FOOD BOOST Low income households to get £180 cost of living vouchers within days – check if you qualify
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LOW income households are in line to receive cost of living vouchers worth up to £180 within days.
The help comes via the Household Support Fund, a giant £742million pot of money that's been shared between councils in England.
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A selection of British coins in an open hand.
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Local authorities are distributing their share of the fund, which runs until March 2026, to households in need.
In most cases, this is residents who are on benefits, low incomes or classed as vulnerable.
Ealing Council, in London, has been given £4.7million out of the £742million pot and is issuing supermarket vouchers to families with children on benefits-related free school meals.
Households with children under the age of five receiving housing benefit or council tax support are also eligible for vouchers.
Vouchers are being issued in July, October and December this year, as well as February and March 2026.
The vouchers being given to families with children on benefits-related free school meals in July are worth £90 per child, meaning households with two eligible children will receive £180.
If you live in Ealing, you don't need to apply for the vouchers as they will be sent to you via email or letter.
The council's partner, Blackhawk, is issuing a 16-digit, personalised code and instructions on how to redeem the vouchers on the Blackhawk website - ealingcouncil.select-your-reward.co.uk.
If your child goes to a school outside the borough of Ealing, you will need to apply for the vouchers.
Details on how to do that can be found via ealing.gov.uk/info/201103/benefits_and_financial_support/3043/household_support_fund.
Three key benefits that YOU could be missing out on, and one even gives you a free TV Licence
Can I get help if I live outside Ealing?
Whether you can get help via the Household Support Fund depends on where you live.
This is because each council sets it own eligibility criteria.
However, the Household Support Fund, which was first established in 2021, is designed to help those on low incomes, benefits or classed as vulnerable.
So, if you fit into any of these three categories, the chances are you will be eligible for support.
The best thing to do is visit your local council's website where most have a page dedicated to the Household Support Fund.
Or, you can contact your local council's customer service helpline to inquire.
The latest round of Household Support Fund runs until March 31, 2026, and some councils have already opened up for applications.
Households in Birmingham are being urged to apply for £200 payments.
Meanwhile, low income households in North Northamptonshire can apply for supermarket vouchers worth up to £320.
Other help if you're on a low income
It's worth checking if you're eligible for benefits if you haven't already - it could boost your bank balance by thousands of pounds a year.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
If you're struggling with the cost of food, check where your nearest food bank is, to help you get cupboard staples for less.
The Trussell Trust has hundreds of food banks across the UK, and you can find your nearest one here - trussell.org.uk/emergency-food/find-a-foodbank.
Meanwhile, if you have fallen behind on your energy bills, you might be able to get a grant to wipe any debt.
British Gas and Octopus Energy, the UK's two biggest energy firms, both run schemes offering customers grants worth up to £2,000.
You might be able to apply for a free grant through a local charity as well.
Charity Turn2Us has a free-to-use grants search tool on its website which you can find here - grants-search.turn2us.org.uk.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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