Introduction
Are you struggling with bills? support is available
The Household Support Fund provides short-term, urgent financial help to Somerset residents who cannot afford household essentials. Things like food and paying for prepayment meter energy bills.
Funding for this scheme is from the Department for Work and Pensions. You can find out more about the Household Support Fund and other help that is available on the GOV.UK website. You can apply once as a household for this funding, in each funding round. Funding rounds run every six months, currently from October 2024 to March 2025.
If you have successfully applied for the Household Support Fund in the past, and nothing has changed, you will still be eligible for support.
You can only apply online.
What the fund will cover
The Household Support Fund cannot make direct payments towards bills. It does not provide cash payments or make payments to your bank account. Where support is approved, vouchers will be issued for an agreed monetary value. The Household Support Fund could help you if you are struggling to afford important things like:
- Gas and electricity – If you have a pre-payment energy meter, your cards or keys can be topped up. You must redeem your voucher within 5 days of receiving it. For help towards all other energy bills, food vouchers can be given in place of payment towards fuel bills. The value of the food vouchers can then be used to offset payment of fuel bills or other direct debit bills.
- Food – For help towards paying for food, supermarket food vouchers are issued which you can use in all major supermarkets. Vouchers are valid for six months from the date you receive them.
The fund will not cover:
- debt repayments
- cash payments
- rent or housing costs
- phone bills
- non-urgent items such as televisions and some furniture
Who can apply
You do not need to be in receipt of benefits to apply for this fund. And any existing benefits will not be affected by payments from this fund.
To apply, you must:
- Live in the county of Somerset. If you live in North Somerset, help is available from North Somerset Council.
- Be over the age of 16 and living independently of parents and carers.
- Have a total household income between £0 and £1,583 per month, or £18,996 per annum. Household income includes all benefits, earnings and pensions, except for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Housing Benefit, and the housing element of Universal Credit.
- provide ID when you apply.
You can apply if any of the following applies to you.
- are temporarily out of work
- are unable to work due to illness
- are long term unemployed and unable to retrain due to multiple reasons such as poor health
- have a chronic illness
- have a severe learning or physical disability that affects your day-to-day life
- are in receipt of pension credit
- currently use a mental health service, or a member of your household does
- are a carer
- are pregnant
- have a child that requires a specialist diet
- have a child with a chronic illness
- have a child with a severe learning or physical disability that affects their day-to-day life
- are, or have been, a child in care (Child looked after)
- are a care leaver
- receive support from Somerset Council Children’s Social Care
- are fleeing domestic abuse
- are homeless and have been placed in temporary accommodation
- are a refugee
- are a foster carer, kinship carer or special guardian who cares for a Somerset child and can demonstrate a need for immediate or short-term support, which could not be reasonably paid for from any allowance you may receive
- receive support from Somerset Council Adult Social Care
- you or your family currently have a Social Worker and are on a Child in Need Plan or on a Child Protection Plan
You can get help regardless of your work situation, provided you show that you are struggling to pay for essentials. A Household Support Fund will not affect your benefits.
You are unable to apply if you have savings over the value of £2000. If you do not qualify for this funding and are a Somerset resident there may be other help available. Please see our Somerset Household Support Fund – Help through winter page more information.
Apply now
What happens once you have applied
Your application will be reviewed by the Household Support Fund. You will then be notified if your application has been approved and if so, what will be provided and how you will receive this. The Household Support Fund aims to review all requests for:
- Food and utility top up vouchers within 10 working days.
- White goods, beds and other within 10 working days. Please note, white goods and beds can take 2 weeks or more to be delivered dependent on stock availability.
If your application is approved, you will receive notification by email and your vouchers will be made available to you within 24 hours.
If your application is declined and your circumstances change within the funding window, you can reapply.
Fraudulent Claims
Where Somerset Council suspects that fraud may have occurred, it will investigate the matter as appropriate. This may lead to criminal proceedings. If a claimant attempts to claim an award from the Household Support Fund by making a false declaration or providing false evidence, they may have committed an offence under the Theft Act 1968.
Other help available
- You can get help with income maximisation, welfare checks, advice and managing money, such as help with budgeting on the Citizens Advice Somerset General Advice page.
- Visit a Talking Café for advice and support from your local Village Agent on anything that is worrying you, or if you just want a friendly chat.
- Age UK gives some useful support on how to carry out assessments for DWP benefits for older people.
- If you need help with food costs for your children over the school holidays, contact your child’s school office. They will be able to provide further information on how to claim and access your vouchers.
- Find out about food banks in your area, by visiting The Local Pantry Network in Somerset or the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership – Happy Healthy Holidays Programme pages.
- For information on Surviving Winter grants to older people experiencing fuel poverty, visit Age UK Somerset, Community Council for Somerset or Citizens Advice Somerset – Help through winter.
- Move In Fund grants, distributed by Somerset Community Foundation, to support the homeless in making a house and home by helping to fund essential furniture such as white goods and mattresses as well as carpets.