THOUSANDS of households are set to receive supermarket vouchers worth £150 in just weeks.
The help comes via the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is worth £842million.
The fund has been distributed among councils in England who then allocate it depending on their own criteria.
However, in most cases, help is offered to those on a low income or benefits.
Dorset Council is distributing supermarket vouchers worth £150 to thousands of households over the coming weeks.
And households can apply for the help with days – you can put in an application from 10am this Thursday.
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Citizens Advice is allocating the vouchers on behalf of the council and vouchers will be issued to eligible residents within six to eight weeks.
You have to be living in Dorset to claim help. You also have to have:
- an annual household net income of less than £30,000 and
- savings of less than £16,000 and
- can't have applied for help via the HSF in the last six months
Any money you receive from certain benefits will not be included in your net income calculation. They are
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- Personal Independence Payments
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Carers Allowance
- Child Benefit
To apply, contact your nearest Citizens Advice branch or visit its website.
What about if I don't live in Dorset?
You can still get help even if you don't live in Dorset as the Household Support Fund has been split between councils across England.
But each local authority is allocating its share differently.
Some are offering residents supermarket vouchers while others are paying money directly into bank accounts.
Some councils are asking households to apply while others are distributing help automatically.
The best thing to do is contact your local council and see what help is available, or you can visit its website where it should have further details.
You can find out what council area you fall under by using the Government's "Find your local council" tool online.
You just have to type in your postcode and it will find your local council.
What other help you can get
It's not just the Household Support Fund offering help to residents in need.
The Government is currently in the process of distributing cost of living payments to millions of households.
A £900 payment has been split into three instalments worth £301, £300 and £299.
The first has already been made while the second and third are expected to land in bank accounts this autumn and spring 2024 respectively.
You will be eligible for the payments if you receive any of the following benefits:
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
Meanwhile, millions of pensioners eligible for the Winter Fuel payment will receive a top-up worth between £150-£300 from November.
This means if you were born before September 25, 1957, you will receive the boosted Winter Fuel payment.
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A number of energy firms grants to customers struggling with their bills too, including British Gas, E.ON and EDF.
You should contact your supplier to see what help might be available.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.
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