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Other benefits and support

Household Support Fund

Logo: funded by UK Government

We have been awarded a further £2.3m grant from the Government's Household Support Fund to give to households in need by the end of March 2026. This funding is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Some of the funding will be paid to local services to support their work with vulnerable households. This will include the fuel banks, handyman service and the Salvation Army’s fuel top-up scheme.

Financial support is also available for people in North Somerset who are struggling with their household finances.

The grant money is being made available to support those most in need to help with food, energy, water and other essential living needs. 

These funds are being distributed as vouchers to eligible households. 

We will be contacting certain households automatically and we also have an application process.

If you have received an invite to redeem your voucher, please visit our voucher website.

For more information about cost of living support, see the GOV.UK website - cost of living hub

How to apply for a Household Support payment

If you are struggling with the rising living costs and need extra help to afford energy and water bills, food, and other essential living needs, you may be eligible for help. We can award one voucher per household.

You will need to complete an online application form and provide us with some details.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the scheme you must be:

  • a household in North Somerset
  • experiencing financial hardship and not have enough resources to meet your immediate short-term needs

We will contact you to let you know the outcome of your application. If you are eligible, you will receive a voucher which will be emailed to you within 28 days.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 1 March 2026. We are expecting a large volume of application and awards will be made on a first come first served basis.  

If you have children entitled to free school meals

If you have children living with you who are entitled to free school meals at a North Somerset school, you could be eligible to receive a food vouchers up to the value of £100. This will be issued per free school meals entitled child. The vouchers are available in September 2025. 

Schools will issue the vouchers automatically in the new school year. They are linked to your free school meals eligibility, so you do not need to apply for them or request them. 

Please note these are for those on benefits related free school meals, not universal infant free school meals.

If you receive Council Tax reduction

f you receive Council Tax reduction (previously called Council Tax support) and are of working age or pensionable age, you will receive a £50 voucher in June 2025 and January 2026.

If you qualify and we have your correct contact details, your voucher will be sent by email.

Please be aware that vouchers will be sent from a different email address to previous emails. 

Your voucher will be sent from n-somerset@select-essentials.co.uk

apply for a Household Support payment

If you have received an invite to redeem your voucher, please visit our voucher website.

If you need urgent financial help

If you need urgent financial help you may be able to use our welfare provision scheme.

We can provide urgent financial help following a serious fire or flood, or for clothing, gas and electricity, household furniture and lots more.

If you need to contact us, apply for a Council Tax reduction or review your Council Tax account, sign into MyAccount.

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