Household Support Fund

To find out if you are eligible for a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment, you can use our online checker.

If you are eligible, you can find out how much you will get and access your voucher. To use the eligibility checker you will need your:

• national insurance number
• date of birth
• postcode

Check your eligibility

The following people will receive a single e-voucher for the amount below:

• if you were getting the maximum discount to pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of 1 December 2024 you will receive a single e-voucher for £150

You will not be eligible for the Household Support Fund if you only get the 25% single person council tax discount for households where only one adult is living in the property. You must be getting the maximum discount under the  means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme to be eligible for the Household Support Fund.

For this sixth phase of the Household Support Fund, the eligibility criteria has been updated based on guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions. Because the guidance has changed, you might have received a payment as part of a previous phase of the Household Support Fund and not this time. For example, if you are not getting the maximum discount to help pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme you will not be eligible. You will find information on this page about other sources of support.

If you get the maximum discount on your council tax bill but missed out on a Household Support Fund payment in phase six, we might be able to help through our exceptional circumstances fund. We have set up an application process to run between 8 January to 13 February 2025.

If you meet the exceptional circumstances criteria set out below, you can apply for a supermarket e-voucher for one of seven supermarkets. The supermarkets are Aldi, ASDA, Farmfoods, Iceland, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Only ASDA and Sainsbury’s offer both in-store and online shopping.

Exceptional circumstances fund criteria

The fund criteria is:

• if your household was not on our records as being in receipt of maximum council tax reduction on 1 December 2024 due to circumstances outside of your control, for example moving house around the eligibility cut-off date or delays to processing your maximum council tax reduction claim which were outside of your control. In this case, you could apply for a £150 supermarket e-voucher

If you meet the above criteria, you can talk to a member of our customer service centre team who will progress the application on your behalf. You can get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide evidence that you meet the exceptional circumstances eligibility criteria. Applications will only be considered if households meet the criteria above. Any decision will be final and there is no right to appeal.

If you do not meet the exceptional circumstances criteria, there is further information about support available on our cost of living page.

If you live with someone else who is not your partner and you are jointly liable for paying council tax, provided that you both meet the Household Support Fund eligibility criteria then you will both get an e-voucher payment.

The Household Support Fund e-voucher amount will be the same regardless of how may children you have.

If you are eligible because you meet the criteria set out on this page, you will get a letter from us by 21 January 2025. The letter will tell you how to claim and use your Household Support Fund e-voucher payment.

To claim your e-voucher you will need access to an email account.

When you receive your letter, you can claim your e-voucher online by entering your personalised code here:

Enter your voucher code to select your vouchers

Then follow the three easy steps below.

1. Select the supermarket you would like to shop with. You can choose from more than one supermarket to split your e-voucher and you will need to select vouchers for the full amount. Then enter your name and email address to check out. Once you have redeemed your vouchers, you will not be able to change the supermarket later on.
    
2. Look out for your e-voucher in your email inbox. It could take up to 72 hours for the email to arrive. Remember to check your spam folder.
    
3. Get your voucher by email and go shopping using your smartphone, or with a printed voucher if you prefer. You do not need to spend your voucher all in one go. If you do use a printed voucher, please look after it the same as you would money.

Do not worry if you are not confident with technology or you do not have an email address. If you have friends or family who might be able to help you claim and use your e-voucher, or print it if you prefer, please ask them to look at your letter with you.

You could also take your Household Support Fund letter into your local library or some council offices (see list below) to get help in person. A member of the team at any of these venues will be able to help you claim your e-voucher free of charge. They can also help you print it if you would prefer a printed version.

If you do need help from a library or council office please bring your letter and one of the following items of identification:

• credit or debit card
• bank or building society cheque/savings book
• valid passport
• driving licence
• NHS medical card
• photo ID card (foreign national, military, police warrant, Royal Mail employee, NHS or senior citizen bus pass)

There may be times when the team at your local library or council office are very busy when you visit and you might need to wait or call back at another time if you are in a hurry. Thank you for your patience.

Addresses for council offices where you can get help in person are:

Harrogate office

Civic Centre
St Lukes Avenue
Harrogate
HG1 2AE

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Malton office

Ryedale House
Old Malton Road
Malton
YO17 7HH

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Northallerton office

Civic Centre
Stone Cross
Rotary Way
Northallerton
DL6 2UU

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Richmond office

Mercury House
Station Road
Richmond
North Yorkshire
DL10 4JX

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Scarborough office

Town Hall
St Nicholas Street
Scarborough
YO11 2HG

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Selby office

Civic Centre
Selby
YO8 9FT

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Skipton office

1 Belle Vue Square
Broughton Road
Skipton
BD23 1FJ

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Whitby office

Whitby Jobcentre Plus Office
6 Bobbies Bank
Whitby
YO21 1QZ

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4pm (closed midday to 1pm)
Wednesday, 10am to 4pm (closed midday to 1pm)
Closed Saturday and Sunday

If you have any concerns about the Household Support Fund and you are not sure who to turn to, you can get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

You must select your e-voucher by 13 February 2025.

If you have lost your letter and do not know your voucher code, you can access it online by using our eligibility checker:

Check your eligibility

To use the eligibility checker you will need your:

• national insurance number
• date of birth
• postcode

If you have any concerns about the Household Support Fund and you are not sure who to turn to, you can get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

Everyone who is eligible will receive a letter by 21 January 2025.

If you have not had a letter and you think you are eligible, you can use our eligibility checker.

Check your eligibility

To use the eligibility checker you will need your:

• national insurance number
• date of birth
• postcode

We have been working alongside colleagues in our revenues and benefits team to identify people who match the eligibility criteria and will be able to claim their payment from this funding.

The Department for Work and Pensions have given us discretion to use existing benefits data to make sure that the funding goes to people who qualify. For more information on how we process your personal data, go to privacy notices.

To find out if you are eligible for a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment, you can use our online eligibility checker.

Check your eligibility

If you are eligible, you can find out how much you will get and access your voucher. To use the eligibility checker you will need your:

• national insurance number
• date of birth
• postcode

If you need any help with this, you can get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

If you met the eligibility criteria of getting the maximum discount to help pay your council tax bill through the means-tested Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of 1 December 2024 and received letter from us with information about how to claim your Household Support Fund payment, you are eligible.

If your circumstances have changed since 1 December, you are still eligible and should follow the steps in your letter to redeem your supermarket e-voucher payment. Claiming will not affect any other benefits you are getting, and you will not be asked to repay it.

The team at Veritau, our anti-fraud company, may check Household Support Fund claims to make sure they are all genuine. This might include national and local data matching which helps to detect and prevent crime.

An e-voucher can be used in a store or when shopping online with some supermarkets. Some people prefer to use a printed version, but an e-voucher can be sent on email to use on a smartphone. 

When you use your voucher, nobody in the supermarket will know that you are eligible for the Household Support Fund. It will just be like any other voucher gift card. E-vouchers are sometimes known as a virtual gift card. 

You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

If you would prefer a printed version, please see the ‘Can I get a printed voucher if I do not have online access’ question below.

Payments will be made as an e-voucher, and you will be able to choose from nine different supermarkets. The supermarkets involved are:

• Aldi
• ASDA
• Farmfoods
• Iceland
• Marks and Spencer
• Morrisons
• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose

Only ASDA, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose offer both in-store and online shopping.

You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website. 

You can use your e-vouchers to pay for food and other essentials. Vouchers cannot be used to pay for fuel, scratch cards/lottery tickets, tobacco products or pre-paid gift cards. Each supermarket has different exemptions.

You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

You can choose to split your e-voucher across one or all nine of the supermarkets involved in the scheme, however, once you have made your selection you will not be able to make any changes.

The e-voucher should be used by the person named in the Household Support Fund letter.

You do not need to spend your e-voucher all in one go, but you will need to select which supermarkets you would like to spend your e-voucher with. After you have decided which supermarkets you would like to spend your e-vouchers with, you will not be able to change this later on. Each supermarket involved in the scheme will have different terms and conditions for using their e-vouchers. 

You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on  the voucher provider website.

There are four supermarkets offering the option of online shopping with delivery:

• ASDA
• Marks and Spencer
• Sainsbury’s 
• Waitrose

You will be able to choose a supermarket that suits your needs when you select your e-vouchers.

If you do not have any of these supermarkets near where you live and friends or family can’t help, please get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

You can check your balance online and over the phone, depending on which supermarket you selected for your e-vouchers. 

You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

You will have until 13 February 2025 to select your e-voucher choices and depending on which supermarket you choose will depend on how long you have to use your e-vouchers. You can find more information about the terms and conditions of each of the supermarkets involved on the voucher provider website.

Your e-vouchers will be sent to the email address you provide, but if you can’t see them in your inbox please check your junk folder. If you still can’t find the voucher email 72 hours after the order was placed, you can call the voucher provider, Hawk Select, on 0800 5872294 seven days a week. Find other ways to contact Hawk Select, including email on the Hawk Select website. If you do need to get in touch with Hawk Select, someone from their customer service team will get back to you within 24 hours. You can also contact Hawk Select if your e-voucher doesn’t work.

If you would prefer to use a printed voucher and you do not have online access, you could ask a family member or friend to help.

You can also take your Household Support Fund letter into your local library or some council offices. Please also bring one of the following items of ID:

• credit or debit card
• bank or building society cheque/savings book
• valid passport
• driving licence
• NHS medical card
• photo ID card (foreign national, military, police warrant, Royal Mail employee, NHS or senior citizen bus pass)

You can find a list of council offices below. A member of the team at any of these venues will be able to help you claim and print your e-voucher free of charge.

There may be times when the team at your local library or council office are very busy when you visit, and you might need to wait or call back at another time if you’re in a hurry. Thank you for your patience.

Addresses for council offices where you can get help in person are:

Harrogate office

Civic Centre
St Lukes Avenue
Harrogate
HG1 2AE

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Malton office

Ryedale House
Old Malton Road
Malton
YO17 7HH

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Northallerton office

Civic Centre
Stone Cross
Rotary Way
Northallerton
DL6 2UU

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Richmond office

Mercury House
Station Road
Richmond
North Yorkshire
DL10 4JX

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Scarborough office

Town Hall
St Nicholas Street
Scarborough
YO11 2HG

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Selby office

Civic Centre
Selby
YO8 9FT

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Skipton office

1 Belle Vue Square
Broughton Road
Skipton
BD23 1FJ

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesday, 9:30am to 4:30pm
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Whitby office

Whitby Jobcentre Plus Office
6 Bobbies Bank
Whitby
YO21 1QZ

Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 4pm (closed midday to 1pm)
Wednesday, 10am to 4pm (closed midday to 1pm)
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Please look after your voucher in the same way you would money. If you do lose your printed voucher and you redeemed it using your own email address, you will be able to get your original voucher from your inbox.

If you got help to redeem your voucher from a library or council office, please get in touch with us by filling in a contact form.

The remainder of the money has been distributed among other funding pots in the county, which can be accessed now by residents who may struggle to afford basic necessities.

You may be able to get other financial support through schemes such as the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) and a fund managed by North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre that helps people struggling to pay their energy bills.

You will find more information about support schemes and organisations which may be able to help on our cost of living support page. This includes information about emergency support with everyday living costs, benefits, Pension Credit, energy bills, food and managing debt. The page also has information about schemes to help families, free adult learning courses and local community-based support including Warm Welcome spaces. You can get in touch with us about cost of living support by filling in a contact form.

North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice and Law Centre provide free, confidential and impartial advice to help people find a way forward with whatever problems they face, including money and benefits. You can get advice in person, over the phone, on a web chat or by email by contacting North Yorkshire Citizen’s Advice and Law Centre directly.

If you are on a low income or claim benefits you can apply for a reduction in the council tax you pay. Find more information on our Council Tax Reduction Scheme web page.

You will need to be getting means-tested support to pay your council tax bill through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme as of 1 December 2024 to be eligible for the Household Support Fund.

You can still apply to the North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund even if you have received a Household Support Fund e-voucher payment. Find out about North Yorkshire Local Assistance Fund (NYLAF) on our website.