Multiple reports indicate the Household Support Fund is closing at the end of March, with families across England being urged to apply for up to £300 in support before then. The fund offers assistance with essentials such as food and energy bills, typically through vouchers worth £200 for single-person households or £300 for households with children. Households can get up to £300 to spend at supermarkets like Asda, Aldi, Tesco, Farmfoods, and Sainsbury's through the Household Support Fund, and UK households are being sent texts with vouchers for supermarkets and energy bills under the scheme.
The government has allocated further funding to local authorities in England to extend the Household Support Fund, which is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions. Local authorities decide how to spend the money, which can include direct cash payments, vouchers for supermarkets, or money off energy bills. It is not necessarily a requirement to be on benefits to receive support from the Household Support Fund, as eligibility criteria vary by council.
For example, in Rossendale, eligibility requires being aged 16 or over, registered for Council Tax payments in Rossendale, responsible for paying household bills, and experiencing financial hardship. You do not need to be on benefits to apply in Rossendale, but you should be on a low income and struggling with a financial crisis, and you are not eligible if you or someone in your household received a Household Support Fund payment or voucher after December 1, 2025. You may reapply if you received a Household Support payment before December 1, 2025.
Vouchers in Rossendale are sent via Huggg, either by text, email, or post. In Surrey, Surrey Council is giving out £200 to £300 supermarket vouchers through the Household Support Fund until March 31. 3 million, a 12% reduction from previous rounds.
The Household Support Fund will be replaced by a new scheme called the Crisis and Resilience Fund, but the precise details of this fund have not been released yet. It remains unclear which other local authorities besides Surrey and Rossendale are currently offering vouchers or payments, how many households have received support so far, and what specific criteria various councils use for eligibility. Additionally, the exact transition timing and potential gap in support between the closure of the Household Support Fund and the start of the new scheme are not yet known.