Funded by the UK government, the Household Support Fund scheme supports vulnerable Kent households in need of help with significantly rising living costs. The Scheme will be delivered in two phases, Phase 1 Summer Voucher scheme & Phase 2 Winter/Autumn Voucher scheme. Both will offer one application route that provides 2 pathways to access either the self-referral or professional referral scheme. As one element of support, we have set up a scheme for professionals to refer people into.
The Summer Voucher scheme is open for applications from 12pm Tuesday 1 August 2023. The scheme will close on Thursday 14 September 2023, or when the budget is spent.
If successful, support will be provided in the form of the following:
- £100 voucher to be used to pay for food costs within the household. (Applicants can select an e-voucher from a list of supermarket retailers)
Vouchers will be sent by email or text. If the person receiving the e-voucher does not have a smart mobile phone or access to an email account, the vouchers can be posted to their home address once the supermarket of choice has been selected by the applicant. This option will be available when completing an application form, see application guidance note attached.
There is a limited amount of funding available for this scheme and funds will be distributed on a first come, first served basis, with only one award per household.
Who is eligible?
There is an expectation for professionals to complete due diligence checks of applications to ensure that recipients of vouchers meet the eligibility criteria as set out below:
Applicants that self-refer will be required to submit evidence to prove that they are a Kent resident, within an eligible Kent district, at the point of application.
Applicants must
- be aged 16 or over
- be a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bromley, and Bexley)
- be in receipt of means tested benefits, or have a household income less than £40,000 per annum before tax
- not have savings above £1000
- *not be receiving free school meal support within their household
*Free School Meal eligible families will receive an additional energy voucher for each eligible child via their child’s school outside of this scheme.
Eligible FSM families will be receiving a voucher per eligible child for the value of £100 direct from their child’s school during the Autumn term.
Residents with no recourse to public funding are still eligible for the scheme. If a National Insurance number is not available, please email householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk
with circumstances and reasons why the applicant should receive this support (please attach all supporting evidence to the email).
Application link:
If support is required due to the increase in the cost of living, apply for the Household Support Fund Summer Food Voucher via our homepage: Household Support Fund – Kent County Council
Voucher timescales
We do aim to send vouchers out as quickly as possible, usually within 7-10 working days of a successful application being made, however there will be high demand for vouchers, and this could impact on timescales. The applicant will receive email confirmation of the application outcome.
Application form completion guide
Attached to this email you will find an application form completion guide with a reminder of the key information; this guide includes all the details you will need from individuals to apply for a voucher prior to starting the online application.
PDF LINK: Application guide for professional referrers HSF 4 (2)
Any additional queries can be directed to householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk or via our direct contact number 03000 412424 (line open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm)