Help is available for people across Worcestershire who are most in need. The Household Support Fund maybe able to help with:

• financial support toward current energy and water costs
• financial support toward energy and water debts only
• help to repair, service and replace broken boilers and heating systems
• support with food costs or direct provision of food
• support with wider essentials

To find out more information visit:

• Act on Energy
• Worcestershire Advice Network

Please note this is not an emergency support service, it may take a number of weeks for applications to be processed.

What won’t the fund be considered for?

The fund cannot be used for payment of mortgage costs or to pay off debts. For advice with your finances please contact Citizen’s Advice.

To find your local Citizen’s Advice please visit Worcestershire Advice Network

Can I still apply if I have no recourse to public funds?

Yes, the fund allows us to provide a basic safety net support to an individual, regardless of their immigration status, if there is a genuine need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example if:

• there are community care needs
• they have serious health problems
• there is a risk to a child’s wellbeing

Will the fund affect my benefits?

No, this support is available to all who qualify and will not affect your benefits. It is also available to people not on benefits where other criteria are met.

Act on Energy  give support for energy costs across Worcestershire. You have to be a permanent Worcestershire resident, have an income of no more than £31,000, have no household savings and someone at home has some form of vulnerability e.g. disability, long term condition, pregnant, unmanageable debt.

Pensioners on pension credit should have had a one-off payment already. If you have just started receiving pension credit, you will receive a voucher in the coming weeks, and you do not need to apply. This will be issued to you in the form of a voucher directly by the county council.

For additional support for pensioners, carers and those with a disability please contact Worcestershire Advice Network

Further information on the wider local support available can be found on the  Community Services Directory .

Can I make an application on behalf of someone?

We the council want to help as many vulnerable people as possible. Sometimes this means a support worker or person helping you can apply on your behalf.

Making more than one application

The Household Support Fund helps people every year, you may have applied before and had help, this does not mean you would not be automatically refused help again.

Help with food and other essentials may be available, contact your  local District Council  for more information.

For help to find a local food bank visit:

• The Trussell Trust
• Independent Food Aid Network

You may have a child who attends school and you don’t get a lot of money, for more information about Free School Meals visit: Apply for Free School Meals.

Claiming Free School Meal Vouchers during the school holidays

We the council will continue to support families who qualify for a Free School Meal in the holidays until the end of the February 2024. You will need to contact your school directly regarding the issuing of Free School Meal vouchers during school holidays.

Further support with holiday activities and food is also available for families via the Ready Steady Worcestershire programme  Ready Steady Worcestershire.

Healthy Start

Healthy Start is a Government Scheme that provides weekly vouchers to parents and can help you if you’re pregnant or have a young child under four. These vouchers can be spent on milk, fruit and vegetables and infant formula milk at your local shops and supermarkets, as well as offering coupons for free vitamins too.

For more information about the scheme, visit Healthy Start.