Struggling families can access a new £500million support fund - giving vital assistance ahead of the costly half-term period.
The Household Support Fund is designed to help vulnerable people pay for food, clothing or other household bills.
It is being distributed in the form of grants and handed out by councils in England.
The scheme is still open, but closes on March 31 - so there is still time to apply ahead of the half term from February 14 to 18.
Under the grant, families could be given the support in cash, or in the form of vouchers or credit paid directly to your bill supplier.
How councils allocate the cash is up to them, but some are giving up to £275 to spend in big supermarkets like Asda and Tesco - in North Yorkshire.
In Barnsley, those in need can get up to £200 to spend in supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco.
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Other councils allow the cash to be spent in places like Morrisons, as well as in some non-food retailers like Halfords and Argos.
Some local authorities will give out food, not cash.
Meanwhile some other local authorities are giving out cash of up to £100 per household with no restrictions on where it is spent.
Families can also get energy bill vouchers (worth up to £120) from some councils.
That is in addition to the £140 towards energy bills you might be eligible for under the separate Warm Home Discount Scheme.
You don't need to be on benefits to get the money or food under the Household Support Fund, but your council does have to decide that you are 'vulnerable'.
Who is eligible for the Household Support Fund?
Each council in England will decide how to divvy out its share of the Household Support Fund.
This means local authorities will set their own eligibility criteria, as well as deciding what the money can be spent on.
It can be used to pay bills, get council tax support or to help provide food for families.
But you should note that different areas will be given different amounts of cash depending on their size and how many people are struggling.
This means the support will be a postcode lottery, as some parts of England will be able to offer more help compared to others.
Some families could be given the support in cash, or in the form of vouchers or credit paid directly to your bill supplier.
The help will replace the Covid local support grant - where families could get up to £1,500 to pay for food, bills and more.
Cold Weather Payments will also still be available, paying poorer households £25 a week when the temperature falls below zero over winter.
How to apply for the Household Support Fund
You’ll need to contact your local council directly to see what help you can get.
Use the Gov.uk online tool to find the right contact details for your council.
