Thousands of households to be handed supermarket vouchers worth up to £150 in DAYS – are you eligible?

CASH-STRAPPED families in Camden are in line for free supermarket vouchers worth up to £150 per child this year — and payments start landing in DAYS.

The support comes from the latest round of the Household Support Fund (HSF), which has been extended until March 2026 to help struggling Brits cover essentials like food and energy.

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Under the scheme, families who get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support — and have kids up to age 18 — can get vouchers three times a year to help cover food costs during term time.

You’ll get:

• £45 per child in February (Spring term)
• £60 in May (Summer term)
• £45 in September (Autumn term)

That adds up to a whopping £150 per child, per year — and households with more than one child could be hundreds of pounds better off.

But there’s a catch — your child must be registered for free school meals, even if you already get benefits like Universal Credit or Tax Credits.

So if you haven’t signed them up yet, now’s the time.

The scheme is aimed at helping struggling families keep food on the table without falling further into debt.

And it’s not just food support on offer.

Low-income pensioners in Camden are also in line for a £300 Post Office voucher to help with heating, food and other bills this winter — no application needed.

There’s more help available too.

Residents can apply for an emergency payment of up to £500 if they’re in serious financial difficulty and can’t afford essentials.

That’s also funded by the HSF, but you’ll need to register for Camden’s Money Advice Service first.

Once signed up, you can apply for both the emergency cash and vouchers — but only one application at a time.

To apply or find out more, visit camden.gov.uk or call 020 7974 4444.

Not in Camden? You could still be eligible.

The government has dished out £742million in HSF funding across councils in England — so check your local council’s website for updates.

That means you may be able to claim free cash, supermarket vouchers or energy support from your local authority.

Check your council’s website for updates as more HSF schemes open up.

Recently, households in Redcar & Cleveland have also been urged to apply for support worth £230.

Whilst, those living in Worcestershire could be entitled to get up to £500 in cost of living help through the fund.

Other help you can claim

If you're not eligible for the Household Support Fund, you might qualify for other forms of help to cover energy bills or food.

Support may vary depending on your local council – so even if you don’t live in Cheshire East, it’s worth checking what’s on offer in your area.

Several energy firms offer grants to households who are struggling to pay their energy bills worth up to £2,000.

This includes British Gas, Octopus Energy and EDF.

New parents might also be eligible for free food worth up to £442 a year to cover the cost of healthy food and milk via the Healthy Start scheme.

Or, you can get an emergency food parcel from a Trussell Trust food bank.

You can find your nearest via www.trussell.org.uk/emergency-food/find-a-foodbank.

To get a food parcel, you need a voucher from a community organisation like Citizens Advice or your GP. You can then exchange this voucher for a food parcel at the food bank.

It's also worth checking if you're eligible for benefits if you haven't already - billions of pounds' worth is going unclaimed, according to Policy in Practice.