Household Support Fund

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 your household income is less than £40,000 per annum before tax
• do not have more than £1000 in savings
• do not receive free school meals voucher support from your child’s school over the school holidays, for any child within your household.

If you are referring yourself, you will need to provide proof of residence at a Kent address as part of your application. We expect professionals who are completing the application on behalf of someone else to check that recipients of vouchers meet all the eligibility criteria.

If you are unsure of your eligibility for free school meals, contact your child’s school or email our Free School Meals team at freeschoolmeals@kent.gov.uk.

If you are not eligible for means tested benefits because you are awaiting Home Office approval for your residence or immigration status and don't have a National Insurance Number, email kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk with details of your circumstances and reasons why you need this support, attaching all supporting evidence to the email.

If you qualify, we will issue your household with vouchers to the value of £100 which can be redeemed towards food, energy or both.

Apply

Apply for support

Once you've submitted an application, you will receive a confirmation email with a reference number. A further email will be sent to applicants once your application has been approved or declined (referrers will not receive this).

If you have submitted an application but haven't received a confirmation email, it's possible that we don't have your correct contact details. If you have checked your junk mail folder and still haven't received a confirmation email for your application, call 03000 41 24 24 so that we can verify your details. If we are unable to contact you, your application may be closed.

If you need immediate assistance, check the other places to get help section for further advice.

Professional applications

If you're a professional supporting 6 or more people, email kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk and we'll send you a template to submit several applications in one go.

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 to appeal, giving as much information as possible about why you feel the decision should be reviewed.

Receiving your voucher

If your application is successful, you will receive a £100 e-voucher which will be sent via email. This will contain a code that will enable you to redeem the e-voucher through the voucher issuer's website. You can then use this e-voucher towards food or energy costs.

Read more about how to claim your voucher.

We aim to process applications within 20 working days of submission and vouchers are usually issued to successful applicants within 10 working days. If you are expecting a voucher but haven't received it, check your spam and junk folders. If it still hasn't been received, call us on 03000 41 24 24 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm) or email kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk.

Redeeming your voucher

You can redeem your voucher at a supermarket of your choice from a list of participating supermarket chains which can be selected when initially completing the application form.

Energy Support can only be redeemed online directly with your provider (or at an approved Payzone  or PayPoint outlet if you have a legacy pre-payment energy meter).

We will provide successful applicants with further information on how to redeem the the voucher or energy card when it is issued.

Voucher expiry

The e-voucher expiry date will be dependent on the retailer chosen. We advise you to use your voucher as soon as possible as they cannot be reissued.

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.

Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme

With the recent changes to Winter Fuel Payment eligibility for pensioners, we have launched the Pensioner Just Missing Out scheme for pension-aged residents on lower incomes who are not eligible for Pension Credit or the government’s Winter Fuel Payment. The scheme enables you to apply for support with food, energy or both.

For help and guidance on eligibility and to apply for Pension Credit, visit our Pension Credit page.