An additional £842 million is available from 1 April 2023 to help the most vulnerable households across England with essential food and energy costs.
- Department for Work and Pensions’ £842 million Household Support Fund extension comes into effect on 1 April
- Extra money given to councils to provide further help to most in need with essential food and energy costs until 31 March 2024
- Vulnerable households and families encouraged to check their council website for details of support available
The funding, allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions to councils in England, will extend the Household Support Fund for another year.
The Household Support Fund is a discretionary fund provided to local authorities enabling them to provide support to vulnerable families struggling to cover essential costs who may not be eligible for other Government support schemes. Councils in England will decide how best to spend their allocation of the fund – now worth £2 billion across its lifetime – by drawing from local knowledge and making direct contact with people in the community.
They will be able to support the most vulnerable households in their local area – helping them with the cost of essentials like groceries, toiletries, and warm clothes, as well as providing further support with energy bills.
East Sussex County Council will receive £7,793,568 in this latest round of funding to help families that need support with the cost of essentials in the face of rising costs. This funding takes the total level of support provided to East Sussex residents to £19,483,919.
The Government is also delivering further support on top of the £1 billion of funding for the Household Support Fund including means-tested £900 Cost of Living Payments, a £150 payment for disabled people, and £300 for pensioner households. The Conservative Government’s Energy Price Guarantee is also protecting people from rising energy costs this year and will remain in place until the end of March 2024.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Many families in Wealden are struggling with rising prices caused by global economic pressures including Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. I welcome the announcement of an additional £7.7m in funding for East Sussex Council from this week to help vulnerable residents through the Household Support Fund, demonstrating the Government’s unwavering commitment to support the most vulnerable in times of financial hardship. The Household Support Fund is a vital scheme helping families that are unable to pay for essentials, and extending the fund will help many more families in need this year.”
Residents are advised to check the council’s website or call their office to find out what support is available locally to them through the Household Support Fund.
Further Information
- The Household Support Fund comes on top of extensive support for those in need in the coming months with many receiving direct payments in 2023/24. Millions of UK households will receive the first £301 payment of up to £900 in Cost of Living Support directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between 25 April and 17 May. This is on top of a £150 payment for those on disability benefits, and £300 on top of Winter Fuel Payments for pensioner households.
- The Household Support Fund was first launched on 6 October 2021, and has been extended several times. This latest extension lasts until 31 March 2024, representing the fourth edition of the fund.
- Local Authorities have discretion on how they design and deliver their scheme depending on local need, within the parameters of the guidance set out by the Department for Work and Pensions. Some examples of how local authorities have used the fund:
- Funding distribution is targeted at the areas with the most vulnerable households.
