Household Support Fund Individuals (Food)

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About the fund:

The Household Support Fund is provided by the UK Government to deliver support to people living in County Durham who are struggling to afford household essentials including energy and food. At Point North, we are delivering support for food, gas and electricity costs.


This application is specifically for food support.


If you need support with gas and electric costs, please complete the application form for the Household Support Fund (Utilities) by clicking here.


You can apply to both funds but only once.


If you have already received support from Point North via a telephone appointment for the Household Support Fund, then you cannot apply this time.


Who can apply? 

Anyone aged 18 or over who is living in the Durham County Council area and is struggling to afford everyday essentials or in need of crisis support can apply for the Household Support Fund.


You must be liable for the Council Tax at the property you are living in, this could be covered by your UC (Universal Credit).


A support professional who’s supporting you can apply on your behalf. This can be:

  • A frontline worker who is providing information, advice and guidance to you 
  • Your social worker 
  • A support worker from a relevant registered charity, housing association or public sector organisation 



What does the fund cover?

This fund is specifically to support with the cost of food.


If you're successful, a digital voucher will be issued to you via Evouchers to use in a supermarket.


The application form:

Your application to the Household Support Fund needs to be submitted through our dedicated grants platform which is operated securely and confidentially by Plinth.


What you need to do:

  1. Create an account with Plinth: You only need to do this once and the only information required to create an account is your full name, email address, and a secure password of your choice. Please make sure the details you use to create your Plinth account are the same as the information you include in your application.
  2. Complete the application form: The majority of the questions are multiple choice, but some questions will ask you to give information about your current situation. To help us assess your application, please make sure you provide as much detail as you can about your situation.
  3. Submit your application: When you have submitted your application, we aim to have a decision for you within six weeks.


Additional information:

We’re currently experiencing high demand for the fund, so our team can’t offer one-to-one help with the form. If you need support filling it in, please contact your support worker, advisor or a local charity who may be able to help.


Please note only one application can be made per household.


Need help?

If after reading this you have any questions or are unsure about anything, please get in touch with our team:


  • Advice line: 0191 378 6355 
  • Email: hsf@pointnorth.org.uk
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