Funded by the UK government, the Kent 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.
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.
There is a limited amount of funding available for this scheme. Funds will be distributed on a first come, first served basis, with only one award per household.
Who is eligible?
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 £1,000.
- *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 receive a £100 voucher per eligible child direct from their child’s school during the Autumn term.
Residents with no recourse to public funding are 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, attaching supporting evidence to the email.
Application Link
Apply for the Kent Household Support Fund Summer Food Voucher via 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.
Additional Queries
Any questions can be directed to householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk or via 03000 412424 (line open Monday to Friday 10am to 3pm).