UK households are being handed FREE supermarket vouchers to spend worth £200 each. £421m has been made available to county councils and Unitary Authorities in England to support those most in need with the cost of essentials via the Household Support Fund.
The expectation is that the fund is intended to cover a wide range of low-income households in need, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger families, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events.
Adur and Worthing Councils will be sending letters to 200 households that will not receive the Winter Fuel Payment due to falling just outside the eligibility criteria for Pension Credit, to offer them vouchers worth £200, the local authority has said.
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The vouchers are provided by Huggg, an organisation that helps local authorities across the country disburse support funds to those in need. They can be used in supermarkets to buy groceries or household items. The council stated: “The households have been identified by our Proactive team of dedicated caseworkers using database technology developed by social policy software and analytics company Policy In Practice as well as referrals from staff.
“Since September last year our Proactive team has contacted nearly 300 households that are eligible for Pension Credit but have not claimed it, to let them know that they can continue receiving the Winter Fuel Payment by making an application.
“So far nearly 60 residents have successfully applied for Pension Credit, bringing in an additional average annual income of £3,900 per household.” Cllr Sharon Sluman, Adur’s cabinet member for communities and wellbeing, said: ““There is a lot of support available for people struggling with the cost of living, but we know that there are many retired people who fall just shy of claiming Pension Credit and will miss out on Winter Fuel Payments this year. The Proactive team will continue to contact anyone who may be eligible for the vouchers as well as signpost people to other support available.”
Cllr Dom Ford, Worthing’s cabinet member for communities, culture and leisure said: “The cost of living is still having an impact on people’s day-to-day lives, with food and energy costs continuing to increase. These vouchers can be used in most major supermarkets and will help take some of the worry away by making sure the costs of everyday essentials are covered.”