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Household support fund

Access support with energy bills and food with the help of funding from the Household Support Fund, which is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The fund was due to close on 31 March 2024, but the Government has announced it will be extended for a further six months. We expect to receive around £2.2 million. More details will be shared on this webpage at a later date.

Energy, food and other support for households in need

Citizens Advice Plymouth will be supporting households in need who meet the eligibility criteria and are experiencing financial difficulty.

You can get help with:

  • Food: eligible clients can apply for £180 in supermarket vouchers for either Asda, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi or Iceland
  • Fuel: eligible clients can apply for £147 in top up voucher codes for pre-payment meters, or a £150 credit voucher for credit accounts (where bills are paid monthly or quarterly) or smart meters
  • White goods: eligible clients can apply for an essential appliance, including delivery, installation, and old appliance removal where applicable
  • Household Furniture: eligible clients can apply for an essential household item or furniture. This will include delivery but many items will require self-assembly. Vouchers for clothes may also be provided

Eligibility

Households can only apply for this fund if they did not access support in the previous rounds of the Household Support Fund anytime between 10 December 2022 and 5 November 2023.

Only one application can be made per household. The fund is only for residents living in Plymouth. Any applications received that do not meet this initial criteria will be rejected.

To apply, households must also fall into one of the eligible categories:

  • households with at least one child under 18 who resides in the property on a permanent basis
  • households where someone has a disability or a long term health condition
  • households where someone has reached pension age
  • Households with a single occupant receiving help with housing costs

This fund is not suitable for emergency support as applications will take time to process.

Households who meet the eligibility criteria will be asked to provide evidence and identification. If this is not provided then the application will not be processed.

Applications now closed

Applications for the Household Support Fund have now closed and no further applications can be accepted.

Citizens Advice Plymouth is processing all applications made during the most recent funding round and aims to contact applicants within 8 weeks of receiving the application and supporting evidence. There may be delays due to the high volume of applications.

If you have made an application, please make sure you:

  • send the evidence requested
  • respond to any requests for further evidence in a timely manner via email
  • wait to be contacted about your application

If you need support, visit our Cost of Living Hub for advice and guidance.

Food Support

Families with children that are eligible for Free School Meals will receive food vouchers during the school holidays.

Vouchers are provided at a value of £13p per child, per week. These will be distributed during the 2024 Easter holiday, May half-term and summer holiday.

Check if you’re eligible for free school meals.

There are also a number of community larders and foodbanks across the city, which you can find on the Food Access Map run by Plymouth Food Aid Network

Emergency food or energy vouchers

Plymouth Foodbank can help with food or top-up energy vouchers in an emergency but you need to be referred. Find out how to get help from Plymouth Foodbank.

If you are hungry or cold and need access to hot food, the  Plymouth Soup Run provides nutritious food at a variety of locations, 365 days of the year. Find out more on the Plymouth Soup Run website.

Support for unpaid carers of family or friends

If you provide unpaid care for a family member or friend, find support by registering with the Improving Lives Plymouth Caring for Carers service.

Email: caringforcarers@improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk or call 01752 201890.

More cost of living support

To see all the support available, visit our cost of living pages.