Household Support Fund
Be aware of scammers: we will not ask for bank details or payment as part of your Household Support Fund application. Be sure to check whether links and emails are genuine before responding.
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 stay open until the end of August (the scheme may close earlier if all available funds are allocated).
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.
Apply
If you are unable to apply online, call the Citizens Advice freephone helpline on 0300 3048003 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Receiving and using your voucher
If your application is successful, you will receive a £90 voucher which will be sent via email or text message from our provider Evouchers.
This will contain a link that will enable you to select your supermarket and redeem your e-voucher through the supermarket website. The voucher barcode can then be scanned in the store at the till. Some supermarket vouchers can be used for online shopping, and this will be indicated on the application form when selecting your preferred supermarket.
Vouchers are usually issued to successful applicants with 20 working days from the date of application. If you have received an email to indicate you will be expecting a voucher but haven’t received it, check your spam and junk folders. If it still hasn’t been received, email kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk.
You can download your voucher by clicking the link in the email to the Evouchers website. We also recommend downloading the Evouchers app (available for Apple and Android phones) to your smartphone to more easily access the voucher in the future. The voucher does not have to be redeemed in a single shopping visit.
Additional information about accessing the voucher is available from the Evouchers website.
Appeal a decision
If we have declined your application within the last 7 days and you feel the decision should be reviewed, email kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk, quoting your application reference number and giving as much information as possible about why you feel your application should be reviewed.
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.
