The Household Support Fund
Families whose children receive free school meals
Your household will receive £15 per week for each child who receives free school meals for the May 2025, October 2025 and February 2026 half-term holidays, as well as the summer and Christmas holidays.
You’ll receive the funding directly from the school.
Contact your child’s school if you have any questions.
Sustainable support
With previous Household Support Fund phases we had to provide cash payments, which only supported people for short periods.
This time, we can fund longer-term schemes like debt advice and support with benefits, and we will be using data to target groups who need support.
Our Cost of Living page gives more details about help you can receive.
To check what benefits and concessions you may be entitled to, visit BetterOff Lewisham where you’ll find extra help and advice on debt, budgeting, jobs, and childcare.
Watch this video to see how you can use BetterOff Lewisham.
Application scheme
We will be finalising arrangements for short-term funding throughout the year. There are a number of options we will make available including:
- working with our trusted community partners Lewisham Foodbank, Citizens Advice and Thames Reach to support households experiencing financial hardship who need help with their utility bills and who do not have children in receipt of free school meals and are not of pension age
- providing access to a hardship fund – we'll be setting up more details and providing confirmation of qualifying criteria shortly, so please check back here for details
Winter Fuel Payment equivalent
We identified 2164 pension-age households who were receiving Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction in December 2024, but were not in receipt of Pension Credit and therefore did not receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
From the Household Support Fund, we have made the equivalent payment of the Winter Fuel Payment, which is £300 for those over 80 and £200 for those under 80. The letters have full instructions on how to redeem the payment from the Post Office.
Please note that this payment is funded by the UK Government, not Lewisham Council and there is no guarantee of future payments under the Household Support Fund.
Beware of scams
We are aware of a number of scams involving the Household Support Fund. Please be aware we will never ask you directly to pay us money or for your bank account unless you have contacted us first.
Support from central government
- more information on cost of living support from central government
