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Household Support Fund

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the UK government, the Household Support Fund scheme supports vulnerable Kent households in need of help with significantly rising living costs.

The summer food voucher scheme, worth £90 to eligible households, will launch from the end of June 2025 until the end of August (the scheme may close earlier if all available funds are allocated). Details will be published here once they're available.

You can either refer yourself to the scheme or refer someone as a professional.

The summer scheme will only offer support with food. A winter scheme will follow later in the year offering a choice between energy and food, or a combination of both energy and food support.

You will be eligible for assistance if you:

  • are aged 16 or over
  • are a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bexley, or Bromley)
  • are in receipt of means tested benefits or, if you are not in receipt of means tested benefits, you have a household income of £33,000 or less per year
  • are not eligible for free school meals.

We will check proof of residency against the live Department for Work and Pensions database, and may request further evidence from applicants such as a recent bill or bank statement. We expect professionals who are completing the application on behalf of someone else to ensure that the applicant meets all the eligibility criteria.

Families who are eligible for free school meals are excluded from this scheme as they will receive a food voucher and holiday support, funded by the Household Support Fund, for each eligible child via their child’s school outside of this scheme. Contact your child’s school if you believe you are entitled to this support.

If you qualify, we will issue your household with supermarket food vouchers to the value of £90 which can be redeemed towards food and essential household items.

We will send the vouchers to you either by email or SMS text, directly from our voucher partner Evouchers.com.

If you don’t have access to the internet or email, the vouchers can be posted to your home address. Postal vouchers will take additional time to process and will be sent via recorded delivery, for which a signature will be required.

Applications will open at the end of June.

If you have money worries or are looking for ways you can make your money go further, we can help you to find your way through to the advice and support available.

Via our cost of living support pages you can:

  • check if you are eligible for any benefits
  • get advice about how to reduce energy use and who to contact for help paying bills
  • use our help and support finder to find help available with food, Council Tax, clothing, childcare and much more.

You can also visit the government's cost of living hub for further information.