Household Support Fund

People who are eligible can get a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment of £250 to pay for food and other essentials over the coming months. They will receive two e-voucher payments of £125, one in December and the second in January 2022.

You can claim a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment if you meet the eligibility criteria of getting means-tested help to pay your council tax bill through the council tax reduction/support scheme and you have a child under the age of 19 living at home with you. We have sent a letter about claiming the Household Support Fund e-voucher payment to people who qualified for means-tested support to help pay their council tax bill as of 10 November 2021 and also have a child under 19 at home.

We’re sending out letters to people who qualified for means-tested support to help pay their council tax bill as of 10 November 2021 and have a child under the age of 19 living at home with them. Letters to people who are eligible for the Household Support Fund will be arriving between now and the 26 November. If you think you are eligible but you haven’t received a letter, you can fill in the form above selecting the ‘I’ve lost my letter’ option or by contacting us through our customer service centre and we’ll be able to check for you. You can call us Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, or if you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.

We will be getting regular updates with information for people who have recently become eligible for a Household Support Fund payment. If you qualified for means-tested support to help pay your council tax bill after 10 November 2021 and have a child under the age of 19 living at home with you, you’ll get a letter from us after we've been advised by the district and borough council that you qualify. You’ll still get the full e-voucher payment of £250 split across two payments of £125 if you fill in the form before 17 December, or £250 paid in one go from January 2022 if you fill in the form after 17 December. If you need financial support urgently before then you can contact the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF).

To claim your e-vouchers, you need to complete the form at the above link by 17 December 2021. If you apply before this cut off you will be able to access your first e-voucher before Christmas.

After you’ve filled in the online form your details will be checked and we will send a confirmation email within 24 hours. If you fill in your form after 4pm on a Friday we will get in touch with you the following Monday. When we contact you to confirm that your details have been checked, you don’t need to do anything else. Your information will then be passed to our voucher supplier who will contact you with a link to access your e-vouchers from 1 December onwards.

Only the person named in the Household Support Fund letter will be able to apply. If you complete the form and any of the information you provide doesn’t match our records, we will contact you.

Please make sure you fill in the unique code at the top of your Household Support Fund letter carefully and follow the instructions on the form. If you need help to understand your letter you can call our customer service centre on 01609 780780. You can call us Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, or if you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.

If you’ve lost your letter and don’t know your unique code, you can request it by going back to the form at the top of this page and selecting the option to request a replacement letter. You’ll need to fill in your name and email address. For security reasons we won’t be able to give out your unique code over the phone. You’ll get your replacement letter with a new unique code within five working days. If you find your original letter, this unique code will no longer work after your new one has been sent.

You can still claim your Household Support Fund e-voucher and you’ll get the full payment of £250, but this will be paid from January 2022.

It’s quick, easy and convenient to apply online, but if you need help you can call our customer service centre on 01609 780780. You can call us Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, or if you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.

If you get means-tested help to pay your council tax bill and you have a child under 19 living at home with you, you’re eligible for a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment. We’ve been working alongside the district councils to identify people who match this criteria and will be able to claim their payment from this funding. The DWP 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.

The e-voucher amount does not depend on how many children you have. Everyone who is eligible for the Household Support Fund will receive the full amount of £250.

An e-voucher is an electronic voucher that is sent on email and can be used in a store or when shopping online. They are sometimes known as a virtual gift card. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved here and on the voucher provider website.

People who apply before 17 December will receive two e-voucher payments of £125, one in December and the second in January 2022. If you apply after 17 December you’ll receive one e-voucher for £250 from January.

Payments will be made as an e-voucher and you can choose from seven different supermarkets including Aldi, ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. You’ll be able to use your e-vouchers in store, although ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose also offer the option of online shopping. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved here and on the voucher provider website. You can also check for supermarket home delivery slots.

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 here and on the voucher provider website.

You can choose to split your e-voucher across one or all seven of the supermarkets involved in the scheme, however, once you’ve made your selection you won’t be able to make any changes. If you choose to get a paper voucher because you don’t have online access you won’t be able to split it and will need to choose one supermarket.

The e-vouchers should be used by the eligible applicant named in the Household Support Fund letter.

You don’t need to spend your e-voucher all in one go, but you’ll need to select which supermarkets you would like to spend your e-vouchers with when you get your link. After you’ve decided which supermarkets you would like to spend your e-vouchers with, you won’t be able to change this later on. 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 here and on the voucher provider website.

There are four supermarkets offering the option of online shopping with delivery. ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. You’ll be able to choose a supermarket that suits your needs when you select your e-vouchers. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved here and on the voucher provider website. You can also check for supermarket home delivery slots.

If you can’t get to any of the supermarkets involved and online delivery isn’t an option, please ask family, friends or neighbours if they can help. If you don’t have anyone else to lean on, we can signpost you to community and voluntary organisations offering support in your area. You can call our customer service centre on 01609 780780 Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, or if you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.

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

You’ll have up to 31 March 2022 to select your voucher choices and depending on which supermarket you choose will depend on how long you have to use your e-vouchers. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved here and on the voucher provider website.

Your e-vouchers will be sent to the email address you provide, but if you can’t see them in your inbox please check your junk folder. If you still can’t find the voucher email you can call the voucher provider, Hawk Select, on 0800 5872294. Their opening hours are Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm and Sunday 9am to 6pm. They will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. 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. You can also contact Hawk Select if your e-voucher doesn’t work.

If you don’t have online access, we can help you fill in your form over the phone. We’ll print your vouchers and arrange for them to be sent out to you in the post. If you choose to use this option then you won’t be able to split your vouchers across a number of different supermarkets. You will need to choose one supermarket for the full voucher amount. If you need help you can call our customer service centre on 01609 780780. You can call us Monday to Friday from 8am to 5:30pm, or if you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.

Your vouchers cannot be replaced if they are lost, damaged or stolen so please look after them the same way you would cash.

You may be eligible for other financial support, such as the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) and Warm and Well in North Yorkshire, a scheme that helps people struggling to pay their energy bills. You can find more information about both schemes at these pages.

If you’re on a low income or claim benefits you can apply for a reduction in the council tax you pay. Find information about the council tax reduction/support scheme and a postcode checker that will take you to your local borough or district council.

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)