Posted on Wednesday 17th May 2023
Mark Sutton
Staffordshire families needing support in overcoming cost of living pressures can benefit from an £11million Government funded scheme this financial year.
The Household Support Fund has been delivered by councils over the last two-and-half years and has so far seen £27.5million made available to Staffordshire residents.
It supports families and those most need to pay food, energy and water bills. In addition, the fund supports children who access free school meals and care leavers, as well as other people who have been identified as in need of assistance.
The fund provides supermarket vouchers, education on how to manage a budget and make the most of your income and payment of energy bills directly to the companies.
Since the Household Support Fund was launched, over 58,000 were supported in the last six months alone, benefitting from new boilers, energy efficient improvements such as air source heat pumps, solar panels and insulation through the Staffordshire Warmer Homes Scheme together with food and energy costs.
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people Mark Sutton said:
The Household Support Fund enables families to meet with their day-to-day living costs. One of our priorities as a county council is to ensure those most in need in Staffordshire are supported, particularly when there are additional cost of living pressures. We’re pleased to be able to deliver a scheme to our residents which has made a real difference over the last two-and-a-half years.”
The county council’s cabinet approved the funding allocation at its meeting on May 17.