Find out about the Household Support Fund and other financial help available in North Yorkshire.
The deadline to claim your Household Support Fund e-voucher payment has now passed
The third phase of the Household Support Fund direct payment scheme ended on Wednesday 15 February 2023. You’ll find information about using your vouchers in the frequently asked questions section on this page.
If you’re struggling to pay for food, energy and other essentials you’ll find information about support schemes and organisations which may be able to help, including the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) and Warm and Well in North Yorkshire, on our cost of living support page.
We expect to find out about phase four of the Household Support Fund later this year and will publish details on our website as soon as we know more.
About the Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund was set up by the Government to help people who are struggling with the increase in living costs and feeling the financial pressure of paying their bills.
For the third phase, 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. We worked alongside all seven borough and district councils, North Yorkshire libraries and a wide range of community organisations to deliver this scheme.
People who were eligible could claim a single Household Support Fund e-voucher payment to pay for food and other essentials.
Everyone who was eligible for the third phase of the Household Support Fund received a letter in January 2023 with information about how to claim and use their e-voucher.
The following groups received a single e-voucher in the amounts below.
- People in North Yorkshire getting housing benefit on or between 26 August 2022 and 25 September 2022 who did not qualify for the second cost of living payment for people on low income benefits or tax credits. This group received a single e-voucher for £325. The second cost of living payment was paid in November 2022 to people getting Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.
- People in North Yorkshire getting the maximum discount to pay their council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of 30 November 2022 received a single e-voucher for £85.
Frequently asked questions
Eligibility for a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment
For this third 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. 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. You’ll find information on this page about other sources of support.
The cut off to claim your e-voucher was 15 February 2023 when the scheme ended.
We worked alongside the borough and district councils 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.
Using your Household Support Fund e-vouchers
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 here and 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 here and 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 here and on the voucher provider website.
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.
If your e-voucher doesn’t work you can call the voucher provider, Hawk Select, on 0800 5872294. Their opening hours are 8am to 8pm 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 cash. 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 district council office, you can call our customer service centre Household Support Fund line on 01609 780780 Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm. If you’d prefer to hear from us by email you can fill in a contact form.
Other support available
If you’re struggling to pay for food, energy and other essentials you may be able to get 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’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. You can also call us on 01609 780780 Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Citizen’s Advice North Yorkshire 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 Citizen’s Advice North Yorkshire direct.
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).