Household Support Fund

About our service

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions on behalf of the UK government, the Household Support Fund scheme supports vulnerable Kent households in need of help with significantly rising living costs.

Applications are currently closed.

If you completed an application before 12pm on 21 March, then your application will still be considered and you will hear from us within 10 working days.

If you are in a crisis and need assistance now, please refer to the other places to get support section below.

You will be eligible for assistance if you:

  • are aged 16 or over
  • are a Kent resident, permanently living within one of the 12 local authorities covered by Kent County Council (this excludes Medway, Bexley, or Bromley)
  • have a household income of less than £40,000 per annum before tax, including all benefits and employment income
  • do not have more than £1000 in savings, not including funds you have identified for the payment of regular bills
  • do not receive free school meals voucher support from your child’s school over the school holidays, for any child within your household
  • are responsible for your household energy costs.

If you are referring yourself, you will need to provide proof of residence at a Kent address as part of your application. We expect professionals who are completing the application on behalf of someone else to check that recipients of support meet all the eligibility criteria.

If your family is eligible for benefits-related free school meals, you should already have received support, with schools already providing a £100 energy voucher per eligible child at the end of November 2023. If you receive benefits-related free school meals and have not received this support, contact kentfsmenquiries@kent.gov.uk for guidance.

If you are not eligible for means tested benefits because you are awaiting Home Office approval for your residence or immigration status and don't have a National Insurance Number, email householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk with details of your circumstances and reasons why you need this support, attaching all supporting evidence to the email.

If you qualify, we will issue one physical or one virtual prepaid card to the value of £100, which can be used towards energy costs. The card is issued by GVS Prepaid Ltd, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated.

Apply

Applications are currently closed.

If you need immediate assistance, check the other places to get help section for further advice.

Appeal

If we have declined your application within the last 7 days and you feel the decision should be reviewed, email householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk, giving as much information as possible about why you feel we should review the decision.

Receiving your prepaid card

If your application is successful, you will receive your £100 card* via the email address provided in your application.

Cards are usually issued to eligible applicants within 10 working days. If you are expecting a card but haven't received it, check your spam and junk folders. If it still hasn't been received, call us on 03000 41 24 24 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm) or email householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk.

*The card is issued by GVS Prepaid Ltd, pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated.

Physical cards

You will receive a £100 prepaid card via Royal Mail, to be used to pay for energy via PayPoint or Post Office physical locations.

Read more information about the prepaid card

Read the full terms and conditions for the prepaid card

Virtual cards

You will receive a £100 virtual energy card by email, to be used to pay energy providers directly for electricity, gas or water bills. These energy providers can include British Gas, EDF, E.on, Octopus and many more.

Read more information about the virtual energy card

Read the full terms and conditions for the energy card

Redeeming your prepaid card

You can use your prepaid card to pay your utility provider directly. For further information about how to use your card, refer to the confirmation email or letter you received with it.

Prepaid card expiry

You will need to redeem your prepaid card within 90 days and use the funds within 6 months. We are unable to reissue expired prepaid cards.

If you are not eligible for our help or you need advice about something else, our cost of living support pages can help you find other support.

You can:

  • check if you are eligible for any benefits
  • get advice about how to reduce energy use and who to contact for help paying bills
  • use our help and support finder to find help available with food, Council Tax, clothing, childcare and much more.

You can also visit the government's cost of living hub for further information.

If you are unable to submit an application online or through a supporting professional, if you have any further concerns or questions about your application or prepaid card, or if any of your details have changed since you applied, email householdsupportfund@kent.gov.uk.