Household Support Fund
Last updated: 11 December 2024
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Government has made an extra £421 million available to support those most in need with the cost of essentials via the Household Support Fund (HSF). Southampton City Council has been allocated £2.2 million. This funding covers the period 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The HSF is there to help:
- Low-income households, including families with children of all ages
- Pensioners
- Unpaid carers
- Care leavers
- Disabled people
- Larger families
- Single-person households
And those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events.
How the HSF is being spent locally
We have allocated funding to support a range of services, charities, and community organisations across the city who are working to help those most in need with practical support such as food, clothing, energy and welfare advice. We have taken this approach to make sure residents facing hardship receive the right support at the right time.
Accessing the Southampton HSF
If you are being supported by a practitioner, like a social worker, or by an advice service, they can make a referral on your behalf if you are facing financial hardship and need help and support.
If you are not already being supported, you can make contact with an organisation for help. Citizens Advice can provide advice on a range of topics including budgeting, bills, and tariffs, and refer you for assistance under the HSF.
To be eligible for the HSF, you must be:
- A Southampton City Resident
- Aged 16 years or more
- Recently, adversely financially impacted and in hardship.
You will need to give information about your household’s circumstances and why you need support.
You will also need to provide personal information including:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- National insurance number
- Contact email
- Contact phone number
For more information visit Citizens Advice Southampton.
School holiday vouchers
The Southampton HSF will also continue to fund supermarket vouchers for free school meal (FSM) eligible pupils in the school holiday. Parents do not need to apply. Schools and early years settings will issue vouchers for eligible children automatically.
For more information about free schools meals and to apply please visit free school meals.
Help with housing costs
Additional funding been set aside to help residents with housing costs. To apply visit discretionary payments.
The Southampton HSF will operate subject to the availability of funding. It may be necessary to close it to new applications and referrals before the deadlines stated above.
Other help available
Find information and links to help you deal with the impacts of the increasing cost of living.
More information about the Government’s wider package of support can be found at cost of living support.
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Government has made an extra £421 million available to help the most vulnerable across England. The funding is an extension of the Household Support Fund (HSF) and has been allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Southampton City Council has been allocated £2.2 million. This funding covers the period 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024.
The HSF is there to help low income households, including families, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. It provides help for those who are struggling with the cost of living.
How the Household Support Fund is being spent locally
The scheme in Southampton will provide the following support to residents:
School holiday funding
To support families and children, funding has been allocated to provide Free School Meals during school holidays:
- A £15 payment for each eligible child for May half-term
- A £60 payment for each eligible child for the Summer holiday
Support with food
Residents on low income and struggling with the cost of living, will be able to apply for a supermarket voucher for £50 for the main applicant and then £10 for each additional household member.
The HSF is now open for self-referrals.
Please remember, you will only be able to receive support once. So, if you received support in June 2024, please do not apply again in August 2024.
Agency referral
We are working with a range of trusted partner organisations who can also make referrals for very vulnerable households.
Support to the local charity and voluntary sector
Over £100,000 will be provided to local agencies to provide practical support and advice to residents in the city.
Housing costs
Additional funding of £50,000 has been set aside to help residents with housing costs.
Am I eligible?
The Household Support Fund aims to support Southampton residents who are on a low income and facing financial hardship.
How can I apply?
Applications can be made to Southampton City Council via the following form.
The main applicant will be required to give information about their household’s circumstances and why they need support.
They will also be required to provide personal information:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- National insurance number
- Contact email
- Contact phone number
This is required to verify the application. Please ensure you provide the correct information. If we are unable to contact you, your referral will be declined.
What help is available?
Support will be in the form of a supermarket voucher, to be selected from the following:
- Aldi
- Asda
- Farm Foods
- Iceland
- Morrison’s
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
The amount will be £50 for the main applicant and an additional £10 for each additional household member listed in the application.
How will I receive support?
All applications will be reviewed by our team. They will look at the information in your application to see what support you need. If your application is successful, your award will be made by e-voucher.
Southampton City Council will pass your email address to Blackhawk Network, who will email the Select voucher code directly to you on behalf of the Southampton Council.
The voucher will be sent to you from selectcode@select-your-reward.co.uk
It can take up to one calendar month for you to receive the voucher.
The code can then be redeemed via Select Essentials.
For more information on Blackhawk Network’s Privacy Policy.
If you are not able to access this digitally, or have no access to printing, we may be able to post it directly to you.
Can I apply more than once?
Only one application per household may be submitted for Household Support Fund 5. This means if you applied and received support in June, you will not be able to apply again in August.
The Southampton HSF will operate subject to the availability of funding.
Other help available
Find information and links to help you deal with the impacts of the increasing cost of living.
More information about the UK Government’s wider package of support, can be found at Help for Households.
Before you fill in this form
You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself five minutes to fill it in.
Southampton City Council will make enquiries about the information needed about your household to support the application and to prevent fraud. Incorrectly completed applications will be declined.
Preventing fraud
We must make sure that all applications are made legitimately.
If you receive an award from us by providing incorrect details or not giving us full details or providing false information you could be prosecuted.
You may have committed an offence under the Fraud Act 2006 if you:
- Falsely declare your circumstances
- Provide a false statement
- Provide false evidence in support of your application
We have a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and financial irregularity. All suspicions of fraud relating to Southampton HSF will be referred to Hampshire Police.
Please note: If your application is accepted, and you requested that your vouchers be posted to you, please allow additional time for your vouchers to be delivered by Royal Mail.
We aim to respond within one calendar month.
We are currently open for self-referrals between 8am and 7pm. Subject to available funding.
Contact us
If you need help to complete this form, for example, you do not have online access or need language support, you can call us:
Hours: 9am-2pm, Monday-Friday
Telephone: 023 9401 6642
What is the Household Support Fund?
The Government has made an extra £421 million available to help the most vulnerable across England. The funding is an extension of the Household Support Fund (HSF) and has been allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Southampton City Council has been allocated £2.2 million. This funding covers the period 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024.
The HSF is there to help low income households, including families, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people. It provides help for those who are struggling with the cost of living.
How the Household Support Fund is being spent locally
The scheme in Southampton will provide the following support to residents:
School holiday funding
To support families and children, funding has been allocated to provide Free School Meals during school holidays:
- A £15 payment for each eligible child for May half-term
- A £60 payment for each eligible child for the Summer holiday
Support with food
Residents on low income and struggling with the cost of living, will be able to apply for a supermarket voucher for £50 for the main applicant and then £10 for each additional household member.
We are currently closed for new applications to the Southampton Household Support Fund for August 2024. We will reopen for applications on xxxx at xxxx.
If you have already submitted an application for August 2024:
- It is currently taking up to one month to process applications.
- Please do not contact us regarding the progress of your application within this timescale. We will contact you if we need further information
- If your application is successful, Southampton City Council may pass your contact details to Blackhawk Network, who will email the Select voucher code directly to you. The email will be from selectcode@select-your-reward.co.uk
Please remember, you will only be able to receive support once.
Agency referral
We are working with a range of trusted partner organisations who can also make referrals for very vulnerable households.
Support to the local charity and voluntary sector
Over £100,000 will be provided to local agencies to provide practical support and advice to residents in the city.
Housing costs
Additional funding of £50,000 has been set aside to help residents with housing costs.
Additional funding has been made available from the UK Government to local councils via Household Support Fund to help to support those most in need to help with significantly rising living costs.
This is part of a wider package of Cost of Living support from the Government.
We are currently developing our local Southampton Household Support Fund scheme for the period 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025.
We will provide an update as soon as we can.
For information about other help available view our cost of living pages.
