HARD-UP households can grab free cash towards essential living costs, including a £36 voucher for food items.

The extra support comes as part of the government's Household Support Fund (HSF) initiative.

The HSF was first rolled out by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in October last year with a £500million pot to help vulnerable families get through the tough winter period.

The scheme was originally intended to run for six months, but Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a six month extension to the deadline in his Spring Statement.

The current batch of funding will be available until September 30 – but households are being urged to apply for help as soon as possible, as local councils may have to stop dishing out help sooner if they use up their pot of cash.

The fund is designed to support households most in need, particularly those including children and pensioners who may be struggling with energy bills, food and water bills.

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Money is dished out to local councils, which will decide what sort of help to offer in their area and who is eligible.

It can come in the form of free cash grants, school meals vouchers, or money for essentials such as sanitary products or household items including fridges, freezers and ovens.

It comes as inflation spiked to 9% in April in a bitter blow to families facing the cost-of-living crisis, and the energy regulator has warned that bills will reach £2,800 by October.

How can I claim the free cash?

Each council determines how to use its budget to help local residents, with many previously dishing out supermarket and fuel vouchers or one-off payments.

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Not all residents can receive the support due to eligibility requirements, so it's best to check your local council's website.

Some councils are giving out help automatically, while in other areas you'll need to apply.

Coventry City Council said households in the area can apply for help, but it will also accept applications from third parties such as social workers, relatives, friends and more, if you know someone who needs some help.

Households in the area can claim a one-off supermarket voucher for £36, which they can put towards their food costs and so have more money left to pay for their energy bills.

To receive the voucher you must meet the following criteria:

• Be in receipt of the maximum amount of Council Tax Support
• Be exempt from Council tax as: your property is wholly occupied by people with a severe mental impairment, you live in an annexe and you are a dependant relative of a person who is a resident in the main family property, you are a Coventry care leaver who is liable for council tax and is a resident in that property

Once Coventry Council has received your application, a member of its community support team will contact the resident to discuss their application with a letter.

But you can still try and get the help if you haven't been contacted.

To claim the voucher, you should:

• Scan the QR code on your letter (which you will receive if you are eligible for the voucher) using your smartphone’s camera – this code is unique to your voucher
• You will be asked to enter your email address or mobile phone number in order to claim the voucher.
• If you have used the E-vouchers platform before, you will be sent a link to login. If you have not used the platform before you will need to create an account before you can login.
• Once logged in, you can select your preferred supermarket, then your digital voucher will show.

Those eligible can apply more than once, the council said, so you might be able to get more than one chunk of cash.

When will I be able to claim my free cash?

Each council has been given a portion of the funding to help local residents nationwide.

To find out what support is on offer in your area, speak directly to your local council, or visit its website for more details.

You can find your relevant authorities by using the government's local council checker tool and inputting your postcode.

For example, Torbay Council is giving eligible cash-strapped residents a maximum of £50 towards food, and where necessary, another £50 towards energy bills.

Meanwhile, in Kensington and Chelsea residents can grab up to £150 to help cover household bills, food and clothing.

If you're not eligible for the HSF but still require help, there are other support packages you can take advantage of.

For example, big name energy providers have stepped in to help, offering grants that hard-up bill payers can take advantage of.

Charities and organisations may also be able to help, on top of the providers that offer their own grants.

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If you are worried about the cost of living or debt, then a number of charities may also be able to offer free advice or help:

• National Debtline – 0808 808 4000
• Step Change – 0800 138 1111
• Citizens Advice – 0808 800 9060

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