Household Support Fund 4
The council has again been successful in obtaining £7.1m of funding to support vulnerable households in Nottingham until 31st March 2024 through the new Household Support Fund 4 from the UK Government via the Department for Work and Pensions.
The council is now launching the second round of support for vulnerable residents on a means tested benefit to help over the winter period. Please read through these pages to understand how to receive your support from HSF4.
Funding Period 2 – 1st November 2023 to 31st March 2024 Go Live Dates
- Supermarket Vouchers available from Wednesday 1st November 2023
- Energy Vouchers available from Monday 6th November 2023
- All other forms of support will continue until 31st March 2024
How do I receive support?
Residents will be able to apply for supermarket or energy vouchers again or may automatically receive energy vouchers depending on their circumstances. Please see further details below to see how you can obtain assistance.
When can I receive support?
Support for households has been arranged in two periods to balance the available funding across the full year as follows:
- Funding Period 1 – 26th June 2023 to 31st October 2023
- Funding Period 2 – 1st November 2023 to 31st March 2024
The council has increased the amount of support that vulnerable residents can receive in Funding Period 2 to help residents with costs over the winter period.
Do I have to apply again for this support?
For Supermarket Vouchers residents will need to contact one of the community support organisations listed below. To help with processing of applications this ideally should be the same one they received the first round of funding from.
For Energy Vouchers there will vouchers available to apply for, with some residents receiving them automatically as set out below:
Residents Qualifying for Automatic Vouchers:
- If you have applied for energy vouchers as part of Funding Period 1 from April 2023 until the end of October 2023 you do not need to apply again. We will automatically process and send you 3 x £49 energy vouchers during November and December. Please do not try to apply again as this will not be necessary and may increase the pressure on our community-based organisations in dealing with new applications.
Residents who will need to apply for energy vouchers:
- If you applied for and received vouchers as part of the previous HSF3 from October 2022 until 31st March 2023, including automatic vouchers between April 2023 and October 2023 you will need to re-apply for additional energy vouchers through one of our community based organisations. If you qualify, you will receive 3 x £49 energy vouchers
- If you haven’t yet applied for support, please do so through one of the community-based organisations listed below. If you qualify you can receive 3 x £49 energy vouchers.
Remember that in all cases, you will need to apply for Supermarket Vouchers and not receive them automatically.
Energy Voucher applications close on 31st October 2023 and re-open on Monday 6th November 2023 to enable system changes to be implemented for applications. Please do not try to apply for energy vouchers during this period as this cannot be processed.
Can I apply for more help if I have already had energy or supermarket vouchers since April 2023?
Yes, if you have received either energy or supermarket vouchers since April 2023 until the end of October 2023, you are able to receive even more support in the second round of funding from November 2023 until the end of March 2024.
I have to apply, can I apply for both energy and supermarket vouchers at the same time?
From Monday 6th November you will be able to apply for both energy and supermarket vouchers at the same time. If you need to apply for one or both types of voucher you can do this at one of the community-based organisations listed on this website.
Please read through this guidance provided on how this applies to you.
The Household Support Fund 4 is used to provide support to vulnerable Nottingham residents in the following ways:
- Free School Meal Vouchers
- Supermarket Vouchers
- Energy Vouchers
- Food Bank Support
- Social Eating Projects Support
- Care Leaver Support
- Mobile Food Supermarket Support
Further information on the support that is available to help with the cost of living can be found on the UK government Website Cost of Living Hub here: Cost of living support: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Second 2023 to 2024 Cost of Living Payment dates announced - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Energy and Supermarket Vouchers
Funding Period 1
Funding period 1 ends on Tuesday 31st October 2023. Until this time vulnerable residents on a means tested benefit will be able to apply for up to 2 x £30 supermarket Vouchers and 2 x £49 energy Vouchers through one of the community-based organisations listed below in Funding Period 1.
Funding Period 2
From Wednesday 1st November 2023 until 31st March 2024 the second tranche of funding for the HSF4 will be available to support vulnerable residents will be available and has increased as follows:
Supermarket Vouchers
- From Wednesday 1st November you can apply for supermarket vouchers through any of the community-based organisations listed below.
- Single Person Households can receive £100.00 in supermarket vouchers
- Households with 2 or more people can receive £150.00 of supermarket vouchers.
How to receive the vouchers
Digital Supermarket Vouchers will be provided through our new supplier Sodexo and residents are encouraged to provide an email to receive their vouchers when applying.
Energy Vouchers will continue to be provided through the PayPoint system and residents are also encouraged to provide either an email or mobile phone number when applying to receive their vouchers digitally.
- Warm Home Discount Scheme - Warm Home Discount Scheme: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Information if you previously applied by post
If you previously applied and received postal vouchers we will contact you by post with instructions on how to receive your Energy Vouchers.
Ideally we would encourage residents to sign up for an email address and provide this to enable vouchers to be issued without delay.
Free School Meal – HSF Support in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire County Areas
Through the HSF scheme the City and County Councils will be providing support to all eligible Free School Meals children.
Both the City and County Councils are operating different systems to provide this support and parents should check the respective websites for details, based on the location of your child’s school. Support is not determined by your home address, but where your child attends school.
If your child attends a school in Nottinghamshire County Council
- Click here for further information. Nottinghamshire Household Support Fund (HSF) Phase 4 | Nottinghamshire County Council
If your child attends a school in Nottingham City
- See below for further information.
Free School Meal vouchers
Free School Meal vouchers have already been distributed to eligible families from this fund for Easter and will also be planned for all other school holidays until 31st March 2024.
Children who are entitled to Free School Meals will continue to receive support from the grant and get £15 Supermarket Voucher per week for October, Christmas and February holidays.
Eligible families received a one-off £50 supermarket voucher for the summer holiday period prior to the end of term in July 2023. This provides a total of £170 in support for over 18,000 eligible children.
These vouchers will continue to be provided to parents via their schools but will be through a new supplier Sodexo. Instructions on how to redeem your vouchers can be found here:
- You can check your eligibility for FSM and apply here. Free School Meals and Free Milk
Other forms of support will continue to be available, please see ASKLiON for more helpful information and organisations providing assistance.
| Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory
The advice agencies and community organisations to contact are listed below. Each of these organisations will be able to provide you with general advice, support and assistance and apply for either Energy or Supermarket Vouchers on your behalf.
Your information and application will be submitted to Nottingham City Council for the purposes of administering support, advice and vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund schemes.
These organisations experience high levels of demand, but if you contact them via their contact details below, they will get back to you to arrange an appointment with you:
- If you are a pensioner, please contact Age UK Notts by completing the following form: Household Support Fund
- If you are a Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing resident, please contact their customer services team
- If you are none of the above, please contact any of the six Advice Nottingham agencies listed here: Advice Nottingham uk
All partners are focused on getting the vouchers to those Nottingham residents who are in financial crisis, and need support the most. Each agency issuing vouchers will use their standard eligibility assessments. People who are eligible will be those in receipt of recognised means tested benefits, or some other identifier of low income, such as:
- Universal credit
- Income-based jobseekers allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit
- Pension credit
If you receive an energy voucher, instructions to redeem it will be included with your voucher.
If you receive a supermarket voucher, the instructions to redeem it will appear here.
Is any other support available?
A comprehensive directory of information on help and support available in Nottingham is available here Money | Ask Lion - Nottingham City Directory
Advice agencies and community organisations to contact for support:
If you are a pensioner, please contact Age UK Notts by completing the following form: Household Support Fund
Alternatively you can contact Age UK on 0115 6976314.
If you are a Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing resident, please contact:
- Customers Services
- Email MTVH co.uk
- Call 0203 353 3535
Advice Nottingham
If you are none of the above, please contact one of the following local advice agencies where your eligibility for energy vouchers can be assessed by contacting one of the organisations below. If you are eligible for support your application will then be forwarded to Nottingham City Council for issuing vouchers.
|
Advice Agency |
Opening times |
|---|---|
|
Nottingham Law Centre, 119 Radford Road, Hyson Green, NG7 5DU Tel 0115 978 7813 |
By telephone and drop in Wednesday 9.30am – 5pm |
|
St Ann’s Advice Centre The Chase Neighbourhood Centre, Robin Hood Chase, St Ann’s NG3 4EZ Tel |
Downstairs in the Chase Centre Tuesday and Thursday 1pm – 4pm |
|
Meadows Advice Group Queens Walk Community Centre, Queens Walk, The Meadows, NG2 2DF Tel 0115 986 0197 |
By telephone Wednesday 1pm and 4pm |
Free and confidential advice can also be obtained from the following organisations who will complete a full assessment with you and provide individual advice which may include support of energy vouchers. Please contact these organisations if you require advice for your own individual circumstances.
|
Advice Agency |
Opening times |
|---|---|
|
Bestwood Advice Centre 21 Gainsford Crescent, Bestwood Estate, NG5 5FH. Tel 0115 962 6519 |
Telephone Monday-Thursday 9.30-3.30pm
|
|
Clifton Advice Centre Clifton Cornerstone, Southchurch Drive, Clifton, NG11 8EW Tel 0115 940 5551
|
Monday-Wednesday and Friday 10-1pm by telephone or drop-in for assisted information or to book an appointment
|
|
Nottingham Law Centre, 119 Radford Road, Hyson Green, NG7 5DU Tel 0115 978 7813 |
Telephone Monday-Friday 9.30-4.30pm Drop in Monday-Friday 9.30-5pm |
|
St Ann’s Advice Centre The Chase Neighbourhood Centre, Robin Hood Chase, St Ann’s NG3 4EZ Tel 0115 950 6867 |
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 12.20pm and 1.20pm – 3.30 pm Wednesday and Fridays 9am – 12.20pm |
|
Citizens Advice Nottingham & District 16-18 Maid Marian Way, Nottingham, NG1 6HS Tel 0808 278 7974
|
Telephone Monday-Friday 9-5pm Drop-in Thursday 10-2pm for vulnerable clients that are unable to access our service by phone or digitally. |
|
Meadows Advice Group Queens Walk Community Centre, Queens Walk, The Meadows, NG2 2DF Tel 0115 986 0197 |
Monday-Friday 10-1pm
|
Foodprint
Foodprint is a social supermarket where anyone who is struggling with the cost of living can purchase food at a greatly discounted price when compared to mainstream supermarkets. We have no referral system, and we are open to all. Anybody can access our service by turning up to either of our stores in Sneinton and Radford, details of which are below:
- Foodprint Sneinton | 101 Sneinton Road, NG2 4QL | 0115 959 8842 | Open: Tuesday and Thursday 10am – 5pm and Saturday 9.30am - 5pm
- Foodprint Radford | Unit 2 Forest Court, Gamble Street, NG7 4EX | 0115 837 6116 | Open: Monday to Thursday 10am - 4pm
You can still get financial support and advice on ASKLiON
Advice agencies and community organisations are ideally placed to provide financial advice that can help you to get a whole range of financial support. This includes applying for benefits, tax credits, reducing debt, managing household bills and much more.
If you, or someone you know, needs financial support, your first step should be to contact one of the advice agencies or community organisations listed below.
By contacting these agencies, you will be able to talk to an impartial and confidential Adviser about the whole range of financial support and solutions available to you over the longer term.
A directory of information on help and support available in Nottingham is available here www.asklion.co.uk/money
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