Households can request vouchers of €150 for the weekly groceries. Here's how

THOUSANDS of households can apply for £150 vouchers to spend on their weekly shopping in supermarkets.

Dorset City Council has announced that it will reopen applications for the fourth round of the Household Support Fund (HSF) for low-income households in the area on Tuesday, February 6.

Residents who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the vouchers within six to eight weeks of applying.

The Department for Work and Pensions has funded the government program to ensure households receive support.

Households can apply if they pay council tax to Dorset Council and have an annual net household income of less than £30,000.

Payments for personal independence, such as disability living allowance, care allowance, care allowance or child benefit, should not be included in the calculation of net income.

Dorset residents must also have savings of less than £16,000 and must not have claimed a previous HSF payment in the last six months (since August 2023).

Cllr Laura Beddow, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Culture, Communities and Customer Services said: “In an ongoing effort to support low-income households, the fourth round of the Household Support Fund will reopen on Tuesday 6 February, providing vital support via supermarket vouchers.”

“If you apply in this window, please ensure you have not applied for a previous HSF payment since August 2023 as no further vouchers can be issued and there are a very limited number of applications available for this window.

“If you miss this window, another window will open on Tuesday, March 6 at 10 a.m.”

Residents can submit an application online and the vouchers can be spent at several supermarkets.