Help for Households: deals and discounts you can claim now

(Image credit: getty images)

published 22 July 2022

The government has launched a campaign to help customers struggling with the cost of living, with companies like Asda (opens in new tab), Morrisons (opens in new tab) and Amazon (opens in new tab) offering special discounts.

Under the Help for Households initiative, families will be able to access free or cheap meals, free theatre tickets and discounted ten-pin bowling, a low-cost phone tariff, plus other deals.

David Buttress, the government’s cost of living tsar and former boss of Just Eat, who helped negotiate the deals, called it a “good start”, but added there was more to do and more discounts to announce, “not just over the summer holidays but when kids return to school and in the run-up to Christmas when costs are typically higher”.

Here we round the deals announced as the first part of the Help for Households scheme. Plus more ideas on how to cut the cost of kids’ meals during the summer holidays.

Help for household deals

Is Help for Households doing enough to help?

Unveiling the campaign, Boris Johnson said “both the public and private sector have a role to play” in helping households through “incredibly tough global economic headwinds”. He added that the “new deals and discounts will provide much-needed respite at the checkout”.

However, Labour has criticised the scheme saying it did not not amount to “real help”, while some Twitter users have also questioned how useful it will be.

The Tory government isn't actually funding the 'Help for Households' discounts scheme, just doing a few ads so they can claim credit. Can we please have a government which aims for living wages for all, not trapping people in poverty and expecting them to be grateful for charity?July 21, 2022

Unlike the “Eat out to Help out” scheme in 2020, which the government funded, allowing companies to offer 50% discounts on food, the government is not compensating businesses that provide Help for Households discounts.

Some offers also look rather familiar. Indeed, some were already available to customers, but are now being promoted as part of Help for Households to raise awareness.

The campaign comes as inflation hits 9.4% and experts warn that families could pay an extra £380 (opens in new tab) on their food shopping over the next 12 months.

The offers will feature on the government’s Help for Households website (opens in new tab). There is also a separate government page (opens in new tab) that includes other cost of living support, such as the £400 energy bills grant.

Ed Fleming, managing director of discount code and charity fundraising site Savoo (opens in new tab), said some of the offers would help families stretch their budgets further. However, he added: “We're worried about those who are already at rock-bottom who may not be able to afford the minimum spends on some of these promotions. We're looking forward to seeing further measures introduced by both government and business to address the cost of living crisis.

Ruth Emery is contributing editor at The Money Edit. Ruth is passionate about helping people feel more confident about their finances. She was previously editor of Times Money Mentor, and prior to that was deputy Money editor at The Sunday Times. A multi-award winning journalist, Ruth started her career on a pensions magazine at the FT Group, and has also worked at Money Observer and Money Advice Service. Outside of work, she is a mum to two young children, a magistrate and an NHS volunteer.