Households in one part of the UK are being handed £70 vouchers to spend in supermarkets from this Wednesday to help with the cost of living.

The vouchers are being awarded to households who receive Council Tax Support, which is a means-tested benefit for those on a low income, and will be distributed to those who are eligible between Wednesday, December 3 and Friday, December 12, 2025. Although this specific scheme applies in Wakefield, the vouchers are being supplied as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Household Support Fund and other local councils are giving out cost of living support in other parts of the UK too.

The DWP scheme gives local councils across England a share of a funding pot worth £742 million and helps vulnerable homes pay for essential living costs over the winter months, including energy bills, food and other essentials.

The funding is allocated from now until March 31, 2026, and local councils independently decide how to share the cash, so depending on where you live, there may be different criteria to qualify for the support.

In West Yorkshire, Wakefield Council has confirmed that it will issue supermarket vouchers worth £70 to households receiving Council Tax Support.

The vouchers are being issued by the council in several stages, with households set to receive the vouchers between December 3 and 12 this month.

Wakefield Council said: “Eligible households do not need to apply for these vouchers. They will be issued automatically. Please allow up to 14 days for the voucher to arrive.

“Full instructions on how to redeem the voucher will be included in the letter. Once the voucher has been redeemed, it doesn’t have to be spent all at once. It can be used several times until the entire amount has been spent.

“Please note that receipt of these vouchers will not affect entitlement to any other benefits you may be receiving.”

As Household Support Fund cash is distributed independently by local councils in England, it means that the cost of living support available will vary by location, with different vouchers or grants up for grabs up and down the country. 

The payments may also be issued at different times depending on where you live, so it’s possible for some to receive the support in time for Christmas, while others may have a longer wait.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) says there may also be differences in who the money is given to and if or how you need to apply for the support, as some local councils opt to share the money out through local charities and community groups, while some limit household applications to one per year.

For example, households in Staffordshire can get a one off £300 utility payment made direct to their utility provider via the scheme, while residents in Calderdale can get a maximum of two payments of £85, amounting to £170 worth of support in total.

North Yorkshire Council is issuing £190 cost of living payments to eligible households from October 8 to spend across nine different supermarkets, including Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and M&S.

In West Yorkshire, Leeds City Council is issuing payments of up to £120 to eligible low income households in Leeds and Doncaster Council is giving eligible households up to £300 towards food costs, while other households can qualify for a £100 payment to go towards energy bills.

Elsewhere, households in Nottingham can get energy vouchers worth £98 and supermarket vouchers worth £75, amounting to £173 worth of support, and residents in Manchester receiving Council Tax support and a disability benefit can get £130.