Household Support Fund

Money to help if you're struggling with food, bills or energy costs

If you successfully applied for a Household Support Grant between 1 April and 30 September 2024, you will automatically get another payment this winter. It will be paid six months after your last payment. You do not need to reapply.

A new round of the Household Support Fund opened for Wokingham Borough on 14 October. It runs to 31 March or until the fund is spent. You can apply if you’re struggling to pay for:

Food
Bills
Energy costs
Other everyday essentials

The Household Support Fund has been allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions to councils in England.

Wokingham Borough has received more than £500,000 to help people locally.

Who should apply

Families with children who receive means-tested free school meals should apply for Holiday Food Vouchers. Full details further down this page.

Everyone else should apply for a Household Support Grant. Amounts are lower than the previous winter round, as we want to help more people who may be struggling.

Household Support Grant

The Household Support Grant provides support to anyone who is not part of a family where children receive means-tested free school meals.

Higher amounts are being paid to some groups.

Pensioners, carers and disabled people

You can get a grant of £120

All other households

You can get a grant of £60

Automatic payments

If you have received a Household Support Grant in the last round, between April 2024 and the end of September 2024, you will automatically get one this winter.

It will be paid six months after your last Household Support Grant payment. Please, do not contact us or the charities involved to request earlier payment.

How to apply for a Household Support Grant

Support is available to households who feel they are struggling with rising costs of living as well as people in receipt of benefits.

If you're aged 50 or older

Contact Age UK Berkshire

Call Age UK Berkshire on (0118) 959 4242
Email Age UK Berkshire

If you're under age 50

Contact Citizens Advice Wokingham

Call Citizens Advice Wokingham on 0808 278 7958
Apply on Citizens Advice Wokingham website

Apply for Holiday Food Vouchers - if you have a child who receives means-tested free school meals

If you have successfully applied for Holiday Food Vouchers since April 2023, you do not need to reapply
If you’re eligible but have not applied before, apply for Holiday Food Vouchers on the First Days Children’s Charity website
You can get £15 per week, per child, during school holidays, including October 2024 half-term, the two-week Christmas holiday and February 2025 half-term
First Days will look at your application

The amount you get in total depends on the number of children in your family who receive means-tested free school meals.

Once you’ve successfully applied, payments will be made just before the October 2024 half-term, the two-week Christmas holiday and February 2025 half-term

Apply for Holiday Food Vouchers

Funded by Government

£421 million of additional funding has been made available to help the most vulnerable across England during winter 2024/25. In Wokingham Borough we have been given £525,000.

The funding is an extension of the Household Support Fund and has been allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions to Councils in England, who use it to support those in need in their local area.

Visit the Government's cost of living help pages for more information.