At Work & Pensions Questions in the House of Commons this afternoon (8th November 2021) Greg focussed on the Household Support Fund, a £500 million pot to help vulnerable households with essentials over the coming months.
The thrust of Greg's question to the Work & Pensions Secretary was to highlight the excellent "Helping Hand" scheme put together by Buckinghamshire Council and call on her to do more to ensure increased communication so that anyone who finds themselves in the distressing circumstances of being unable to put food on the table or heat their home, knows that councils are resourced and should be the first port of call.
This fund will run over winter and those in need of support should contact the council who will help them access the fund.
This fund bolsters support from the Warm Home Discount which provides a £140 rebate on energy bills each winter to over 2.2 million low-income households and the Cold Weather Payment which provides £25 extra a week for poorer households when the temperature is consistently below zero.
Families will also continue to benefit from the energy price cap, recent rise in Local Housing Allowance and increases in the National Living Wage.
Earlier this year the government expanded the £220 million Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has offered nutritious meals and enriching activities to disadvantaged children across the Easter and Summer holidays, and will do so again this Christmas.
And to further support families with children, the Government has doubled free childcare for eligible working parents, worth up to £5,000 per child every year and increased the value of Healthy Start vouchers in April by over a third, helping disadvantaged women who are pregnant or have children under four to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables, boosting the long-term health of their children.
Buckinghamshire’s share of the £500 million funding is £2,399,191 and more information on how to access it can be found here: https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/housing-and-benefits/support-with-food-bills-and-finances/
