Household Support Fund

For this fourth phase of the Household Support Fund, the eligibility criteria was updated based on guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions so that we could help people across North Yorkshire who missed out on other support from the Government as well as other households in need. Because the guidance changed, you might have received a payment as part of a previous phase of the Household Support Fund and not this time. For example, if you were not getting the maximum discount to help pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme you were not eligible.

The cut off to claim the e-voucher was 24 October 2023 when the latest phase of the Household Support Fund direct payment scheme ended. There will be a second e-voucher payment of £450 made in January to people who were getting housing benefit on or between 18 August 2023 and 17 September 2023, but did not qualify for the cost of living payment for people on low income benefits or tax credits made in October and November 2023. We will write out to people who are eligible on 8 January 2024. We do not know at this time who will be eligible.

We worked alongside colleagues in our revenues and benefits team to identify people who matched the eligibility criteria. The Department for Work and Pensions have given us discretion to use existing benefits data to make sure that the funding goes to people who qualify. For more information on how we process your personal data, go to privacy notices.

A small number of people were eligible for a Household Support Fund payment of £110 because they were getting an exceptional hardship payment that gave them the equivalent of the maximum discount against their council tax bill through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of 14 August 2023. If this applies to you and you have any questions about claiming, please fill in a contact form.

An e-voucher can be used in a store or when shopping online with some supermarkets. Some people prefer to use a printed version, but an e-voucher can be sent on email to use on a smartphone. When you use your voucher, nobody in the supermarket will know that you are eligible for the Household Support Fund. It will just be like any other voucher gift card. E-vouchers are sometimes known as a virtual gift card. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

You can use your e-vouchers to pay for food and other essentials. Vouchers cannot be used to pay for fuel, scratch cards/lottery tickets, tobacco products or pre-paid gift cards. Each supermarket has different exemptions, you can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

The e-voucher should be used by the person named in the Household Support Fund letter.

You don’t need to spend your e-voucher all in one go. Each supermarket involved in the scheme will have different terms and conditions for using their e-vouchers. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

You can check your balance online and over the phone, depending on which supermarket you selected for your e-vouchers. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

If your e-voucher doesn’t work you can call the voucher provider, Hawk Select, on 0800 5872294 seven days a week. Find other ways to contact Hawk Select, including email. If you do need to get in touch with Hawk Select, someone from their customer service team will get back to you within 24 hours.

Please look after your voucher in the same way you would money. If you do lose your printed voucher and you redeemed it using your own email address, you will be able to get your original voucher from your inbox. If you got help to redeem your voucher from a library or council office, you can contact our customer service centre team by filling in a contact form.

If you’re struggling to pay for food, energy and other essentials you may be able to get other financial support through schemes such as the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) and a fund managed by North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre that helps people struggling to pay their energy bills.

You’ll find more information about support schemes and organisations which may be able to help on our cost of living support page.

This includes advice on money, debt, benefit entitlement, free school meals and childcare costs as well as information about free Wi-Fi, digital support, travel and transport. The page also has information about energy saving, foodbanks and community-based support including Warm Welcome Spaces and local schemes depending on where you live.

North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice and Law Centre provide free, confidential and impartial advice to help people find a way forward with whatever problems they face, including money and benefits. You can get advice in person, over the phone, on a web chat or by email by contacting North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice and Law Centre direct.

If you’re on a low income or claim benefits you can apply for a reduction in the council tax you pay. Find more information on our council tax page.

You can still apply to the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund even if you’ve received a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment. Find out about North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF)