About the vouchers

We know many families are facing extra costs at the moment, and we want to help.

We’re sending out Family Support Vouchers worth £50 per eligible child to help with essential household costs.

You can use this money for things like:

  • energy and water bills
  • food and everyday essentials
  • school uniforms
  • household items such as hygiene products

Who will get a voucher

You'll receive a voucher if you have dependent children and receive one or both of the following:

  • local Council Tax Support
  • targeted (previously known as income-based) free school meals at a Stockport school or early years equivalent

Only families with children who were registered to receive targeted free school meals and/or were receiving local Council Tax Support on 10 July will receive a voucher.

If you don't currently receive free school meals but believe you may be eligible, you can apply using our online form.

If you have no recourse to public funds

Currently no vouchers are being distributed to those with no recourse to public funds, based on the terms of the Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance.

How your voucher will be sent

As part of our Digital First approach, we're sending more vouchers by email this summer. We'll use the email address you've requested we use, or the email you've registered on your Free School Meals or Council Tax Support accounts. Make sure your email is up to date.

If you have more than one eligible child

Families with more than one child may receive both email and letter vouchers.

You may receive separate letter vouchers for each eligible child.

Vouchers for multiple children within the same household may arrive at different times.

Email vouchers

We'll issue a voucher via email using Post Office Payout if we hold a valid email address for you, and you have children who receive income-based free school meals in a Stockport school.

The email you receive will be from Stockport Council and will be sent from fsv.stockport@postoffice-payout.co.uk. The email will include a PDF attachment with a barcode you can use to redeem your voucher.

To find the email, you should check your spam or junk folder as well as your usual inbox. In most cases, the last date you can redeem your email voucher is 15 August 2026.

Expired vouchers cannot be re-issued.

Letter vouchers

You'll receive a letter voucher in the post if:

  • you have children in an early years setting with eligibility equivalent to targeted free school meals
  • you receive local Council Tax Support
  • we do not have your email address and you receive targeted free school meals in a Stockport school, or have equivalent eligibility

The letter will have a voucher barcode at the bottom.

In most cases, the last date you can redeem your letter voucher is 15 August 2026.

Expired vouchers cannot be re-issued.

How to redeem your voucher

Take your letter voucher or email attachment to any Post Office in Stockport.

If you’ve got an email voucher, you can either:

  • show the voucher to the cashier on your mobile device
  • print the voucher and show it to the cashier

Please open the email voucher attachment before presenting to the cashier.

The cashier will provide the appropriate amount of cash. You do not need to bring ID.

You can visit the Post Office website to find your nearest branch. You should check the opening hours before you visit a Post Office branch.

Contact us about your voucher

If you experience any problems with your vouchers, you'll be able to contact us via this page from 22 July 2026.