Household Support Fund: guidance for local councils
Information for local councils on the Household Support Fund to support vulnerable households in England.
Applies to England
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If you’re in need of support, you can find out how to get help with the cost of living through the Household Support Fund from your local council.
On 30 September 2021, the government announced that vulnerable households across the country would be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials over the winter. This funding covered the period 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 inclusive.
The Household Support Fund was distributed by councils in England to directly help those who needed it most. The grant was distributed through small payments to support vulnerable households meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities.
On 23 March 2022 the Chancellor announced an extension to the Household Support Fund. The fund was extended to 30 September 2022 with an additional £500 million of funding to be used by local authorities to support vulnerable households.
Household Support Fund extension 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023
On 26 May 2022 the government announced a further extension to the Household Support Fund. The fund has been extended to 31 March 2023 with an additional £500 million of funding which will be used by local authorities to support vulnerable households.
In line with previous grants the Barnett formula will apply in the usual way to additional funding in England, the devolved governments will receive up to £79 million of the £500 million (£41 million for the Scottish Government, £25 million for the Welsh Government and £14 million for the Northern Ireland Executive). It will be for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate this additional funding.
This brings the total amount of funding announced since October 2021 to £3 billion including Barnett impact. This includes over £2.5 billion allocated to Local Authorities in England. It is for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate this additional Barnett funding.
Household Support Fund extension 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
On 17 November 2022, as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, the government announced an additional £1 billion of funding to help households with the cost of essentials. This brings the total funding for this support to £2.5 billion since October 2021. In England a further £842 million is being provided to extend the Household Support Fund by a further 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. The additional funding will be used by local authorities to support vulnerable households.
In line with previous grants the Barnett formula will apply in the usual way for funding for the devolved governments. It will be for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate this additional funding.
Household Support Fund extension 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024
In the Spring Budget the government announced it is providing an additional £500 million to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund, including funding for the devolved governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421 million to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund.
The funding will be available to Local Authorities in England from 1 April 2024 and will run until 30 September 2024.
Household Support Fund extension 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025
On 2 September, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions announced an additional £500 million to enable the extension of the Household Support Fund, including funding for the devolved governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion. This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421 million to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund.
The funding will be available to Local Authorities in England from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025. This brings the total amount of funding announced since October 2021 to £3.5 billion including Barnett impact. This includes just under £3 billion allocated to Local Authorities in England. It is for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate this additional Barnett funding.
Updates to this page
Last updated 27 September 2024 + show all updates
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HSF guidance, HSF management information reporting requirements, HSF grant determination, HSF management information template for 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025 documents added.
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Added Household Support Fund Grant Determination 2024 No 31/7199 letter.
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Updated 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024: Household Support Fund guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England, Household Support Fund management information template, Household Support Fund guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England, Household Support Fund management information reporting requirements and added Household Support Fund extension 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024.
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Deleted documents relating to 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 including Household Support Fund guidance for county councils and unitary authorities in England, Household Support Fund Grant Determination 2022 No 31/3096 and Household Support Fund management information template
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Added guidance on the extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, the grant determination (31/6496), the management information template and guidance on completing the management information template.
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Updated the guidance for the extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.
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Updated the guidance for the extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022.
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Within 'Household Support Fund (April to September) final guidance' HTML document: Paragraphs 17,18, 87 and 88 have been amended/added to provide guidance where an authority receives unspent TPO funding or expired vouchers after submitting their final management information. Paragraph 52 (previously paragraph 50), has been updated to clarify reporting requirements for ‘Households with Children’ and ‘Households with Pensioners’. Paragraph 65 has been added to clarify reporting requirements when Household Support Fund payments are made instead of a different payment method.
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Updated the guidance for the extension of the Household Support Fund from 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022.
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First published.