Cost of living support
We understand the challenges many are facing with the rising cost of energy and essential food items. You are not alone.
Visit our Cambridgeshire support with the cost of living page to discover a range of financial support resources to help you and your family.
Visit the Central Government cost of living support pages for advice and guidance on managing bills, coping with rising costs, and sources of financial support
Household Support Fund end
The Household Support Fund (HSF) was a grant funded by UK Government to support those most in need and to help with the rising cost of living. Since 2021, the fund was renewed each year. It has played a vital role in supporting low‑income households with energy, food, and essential costs.
Following confirmation from the UK Government, the Household Support Fund is ending in March 2026.
Support is still available in your local community through a network of support agencies. Please reach out to them for support if needed.
Local support services
There are many support agencies across the county who offer help for a range of challenges individuals may face. You can contact these support agencies directly for advice and help.
Crisis and Resilience Fund
The government has announced a new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), which will run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. This multi‑year funding provided by the Department for Work and Pensions aims to support low‑income households experiencing financial shocks and build longer-term resilience. For more information visit Crisis and Resilience Fund (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029) - GOV.UK.
Holiday Voucher Scheme
Through the HSF, the Holiday Voucher Scheme provided supermarket vouchers to households eligible for Free School Meals to support them during school holidays between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This scheme is ending nationally in line with the Household Support Fund ending.
In Cambridgeshire, we will continue to provide holiday vouchers for households in receipt of Free School Meals for the rest of this academic year.
To see if you’re eligible and how to access this support, please visit our Cambridgeshire Holiday Voucher Scheme page for further information.
Household Support Fund privacy notice
In these difficult times, we are working very closely with our district and city council partners, schools, voluntary sector organisations as well as the volunteers who are helping to deliver the vital support to our local communities. This means that we will need to receive and share personal information about our residents. Our Household Support Fund privacy notice provides information about what kind of personal information we request, what we may do with it and who may have access to it.
Fraud Statement
The County Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers.
If you falsely declare your circumstances, provide a false statement, or provide false evidence in support of your application, you may have committed an offence under the Fraud Act 2006. Where the Council suspects that fraud may have occurred, the matter will be investigated and may lead to criminal proceedings.
