Richmond Council and local MPs call for Household Support Fund extension

We have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, calling on the government to extend the Household Support Fund in next week’s budget.

Signed by the Leader of the Council, Cllr Gareth Roberts, alongside local MPs Munira Wilson and Sarah Olney, the letter to the Chancellor calls on the government to continue providing the funding that has helped us provide vital support for low-income households in Richmond upon Thames. 

Cllr Robin Brown, Richmond Council’s Lead Member for Finance, said:

“The Household Support Fund allows us to provide much needed support to families across the borough who are most affected by the cost of living crisis. Combined with the £3 million we have allocated to support our residents, this funding has gone a long way to helping some of the most vulnerable households in the borough. I very much hope the Chancellor will listen to this call.”

The Council has already confirmed it will fund meals in the holidays for those children who receive free school meals, for the coming year, even if the Household Support Fund is not extended. 

The letter says:

“The Household Support Fund has been a vital support to low-income families in Richmond upon Thames during the cost of living crisis. We are writing to urge you to extend household support in the forthcoming budget.

The Council has deployed the funding to ensure that the most hard pressed and vulnerable households receive assistance. For those families where children are eligible for free school meals the council has funded holiday meal vouchers so that children are not going hungry. We have worked closely with our voluntary sector partners (Citizens Advice and Richmond Advice and Information on Disability) to establish crisis funds to help households with immediate needs. Some of the HSF money has been ring-fenced to support children with disabilities, children looked after and care leavers. Nearly 2,500 households have received assistance with their Council Tax bills.

This HSF-funded programme has worked alongside the Council-funded cost of living support programme. This has seen the roll out of community spaces (formerly warm hubs), funding of additional voluntary sector support workers, winter fuel grants and associated advice/warm packs for homes, support to local food banks and a significant focus on signposting sources of advice and support as well as improving benefits uptake.

The cost of living crisis is not over for many households with the costs of food and fuel still at significantly higher levels than before the spike in inflation. Our Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) dashboard shows that we have nearly 1,000 households in the borough who are struggling, at risk or are already in crisis. With Council budgets stretched by the increase in social care and homelessness costs, the Household Support Fund is an essential part of our response. Please announce its extension on 6 March.”