Up to £600 Cost of living payment for Tesco and Sainsbury's up for grabs - how to claim

Anyone struggling with the cost of living crisis could be eligible for payments up to £600 this winter. Households could get vouchers for major supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's.

The supermarket vouchers come from the government-funded Household Support Fund scheme. This scheme gives local councils funding to provide assistance with the cost of living to people in the area and each council offers different support.

This ranges from cash payments to discounts on bills and energy vouchers. Some councils give the help automatically, while others you need to apply.

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For example, Cambridgeshire County Council automatically gives households receiving free school meals supermarket vouchers worth £15 per child, per week. Those struggling financially, without children in receipt of free school meal vouchers, can also apply for a £110 cost of living support payment which they can get as a supermarket voucher, energy voucher or as a cash payment through BACS or a paypoint cashout voucher.

Ealing Council in London offers £30 of supermarket vouchers during the Christmas break to families with children receiving free school meals. The council will also be giving care leavers supermarket vouchers worth £100.

Families living in Norfolk with children receiving free school meals are receiving a £15 monthly payment and an additional £30 in December. In Cheshire West and Chester families eligible for free school meals are receiving £20 a week for the two-week school break, The Mirror reports.

Households struggling in Richmond can apply for grants which are paid as either a BACS payment or supermarket vouchers. The council pays out up to £300 to adult households, up to £500 for those with one child and up to £600 for those with two or more children.

You can only apply for this scheme if you live in these areas. Your local council will have its own Household Support Scheme you can access and the information should be available on their website.

Brumwish 2024 - buy a gift for a child in need

BrumWish 2024 is Birmingham Live's festive drive to get thousands of gifts to children and young people across our city - among them the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care, kids who are poorly or struggling, and kids who have little.

There are THREE simple ways to help.

1. Buy a new gift from the Brumwish 2024 Amazon giftlist. In just a click your donation will be whizzing its way to our volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium.
2. Donate money to the appeal fund hosted by Thrive Together Birmingham - this will help pay for gifts for kids with specialist needs or specific wishes.
3. Buy a gift and, even better, rope in friends, neighbours and workmates to do the same, then drop off your pressies at Edgbaston Stadium, Edgbaston Road, B5 7QU on Friday 6th December, 10am - 3pm; Saturday 7th December, 10am - 1pm; or Monday 9th December, 10am - 1pm. Volunteers will be there to help you. Please don't wrap your gifts. You can also drop off by arrangement until Monday 16th December - contact Louise on 07469 979286.

Thanks to our partnership with #Toys4Birmingham, every single gift will find a good home in the loving care of a child living in B&Bs or hotels, hostels or refuges, children receiving support from specialist organisations and charities, and families being supported by children's centres and charities around the city.

Making up the Brumwish and Toys4Birmingham gang are Thrive Together Birmingham, Birmingham Playcare Network, Warwickshire Cricket Foundation (the charitable arm of Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Birmingham Forward Steps and BirminghamLive/Birmingham Mail.

Thank you to Amazon UK and the amazing team at the Sutton Coldfield depot for their support.