Household Support Schemes
KCC has several Schemes in place to support vulnerable Households who are experiencing financial hardship:
1. The Pensioner ‘Just Missing Out’ scheme:
This scheme will run from Thursday 28 November to 12pm 5 March 2025, or until all funds are allocated.
1.1 This scheme is targeting support for Kent pensioners who will be missing out on the Winter Fuel payments due to the UK Government reforms to this provision and will be made available at the end of November to members of the public and professionals following checking of scheme eligibility. This scheme will operate using an on-line application form that will be available on the Kent Together Cost-of-Living pages and linked to from the main KCC HSF landing page: www.kent.gov.uk/householdsupportfund
6. The Winter Food & Energy Support Scheme:
6.1 This scheme is currently scheduled to run from 12pm 9 January to 12pm 5 March 2025 or until all funds are allocated.
6.2 This Winter support scheme will be launched early January and will be available to members of the public and professionals following checking of scheme eligibility. This scheme will operate using an on-line application form that will be available from the main KCC HSF landing page: www.kent.gov.uk/householdsupportfund
6.3 The application form enables the person completing the form to either a) make a self-referral for support or b) complete an application on behalf of another person. For clarification purposes any person working or supporting another individual must use the professional route within the application. Any queries regarding access to the scheme or eligibility can be passed directly to kcc-hsffoodandenergysupport@kent.gov.uk
6.4 The application form will allow applicants to determine the type of support they receive. The award valuation is pre-determined at £100 however, the applicant can chose to have this towards food, energy or a combination of food and energy as follows:
• £100 Supermarket food voucher
• Or £100 Energy voucher/card
• Or £60 supermarket food voucher and £40 Energy voucher/card
8. Free School Meal Voucher Support:
8.1 Eligible families receiving benefits related free school meals will receive voucher support direct from their eligible child/children’s school. Food vouchers will be available to FSM (Free School Meal) eligible children for the October/Christmas/February/Easter school holiday periods = 6 weeks at £10 per week per eligible Child, plus an additional one off £40 supermarket food voucher at Christmas; with plans to distribute these vouchers currently underway.
Any queries concerning eligibility, accessing vouchers or general enquiries made in this regard should be directed to the Free School Meal team FreeSchoolMeals@kent.gov.uk