Household Support Fund doubled to help most vulnerable tackle cost of living
Pensioners and families are set to benefit from the £500m extension to the Household Support Fund, as the government takes further steps to help with the rising cost of living.
- Household Support Fund doubled to £1 billion with £500 million of new funding, as government goes further to support families with cost of living
- Six-month extension will help most vulnerable households deal with rising cost of essentials
- People can continue to access support through their Local Authority, ensuring those most in need get the help available
Today’s bolstered fund will continue to target the most vulnerable households and individuals, having helped thousands of families since its launch in September.
A third of the funding will be ring-fenced to support families with children, while another third will be dedicated to pensioners. This ensures the people who need it most will continue to receive vital support to meet essential household costs.
Using their local knowledge, Local Authorities will determine how to best use the remainder of the fund within the scope set out by ministers. Previous funding has supported households with food, clothing, energy and water costs, and this extension will ensure that this support continues through to the autumn.
Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:
We have always provided help to those who need it and extending this fund is another commitment to support people with the cost of living.
We know the pressures many are currently facing, especially pensioners and families with children, which is why this fund targets support to the most vulnerable households across the country.
Of the £500 million, the devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula. This brings the total Household Support Fund allocations for the devolved administrations to £82 million for the Scottish Government, £50 million for the Welsh Government and £28 million for the Northern Ireland Executive. It will be for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate this additional funding.
This fund is part of £22 billion of support provided in 2022-23 to help families with the cost of living and to ensure people keep more of their money. This includes changes to the Universal Credit taper rate and work allowances worth £1,000 extra on average for working families, and an increase in National Insurance thresholds. It also includes help for energy costs through a cut to fuel duty and the £9.1 billion Energy Rebate. And from tomorrow (1 April 2022), the National Living Wage will be rising to £9.50 an hour, providing a timely boost to the lowest paid.
If you want to find out what help is available in your area through the Household Support Fund, contact your local council. You can locate your council using the GOV.UK council finder.
Further information
The extension will run for six months to the end of September 2022, following on directly from the previous funding.
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