Household Support Fund extended to cover colder months

The Household Support Fund will be extended for the next six months, supporting vulnerable households with the cost of essentials during the winter months.

This comes with a £421 million boost to give certainty to Local Authorities (LA) across England over the winter months – up until April 2025 – as they work to help those struggling with the cost of energy, food, and water.

Pensioners and others struggling to heat their homes or afford other essential items over the colder months should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them. Details on the latest scheme for local authorities and councils will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves, said: "The £22 billion blackhole inherited from the previous governments means we have to take tough decisions to fix the foundations of our economy.

"But extending the Household Support Fund is the right thing to do - provide targeted support for those who need it most as we head into the winter months."

Many councils also use the Fund beyond emergency support, including working with local charities and community groups to provide residents with key appliances, school uniforms, cookery classes, and items to improve energy efficiency in the home.

An estimated £79 million will also be given to Devolved Administrations via the Barnett formula.

Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can choose how to allocate this additional funding.

1.3 million more people have fallen into poverty since 2010 to 2011, with living standards falling by the largest year-on-year drop since records began in 2022. 

Cllr Pete Marland, chair of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Resources Board, said:

“It is very positive the Government has acted in response to our campaign to extend this vital fund, which will help millions of vulnerable households at a time when demand for support is expected to increase over winter.

“Local government stands ready to work with the Government on a long-term plan for local welfare support, which shifts away from short term, crisis support so councils can instead invest in preventative services that address the underlying causes of poverty and is crucially underpinned by a sufficiently-resourced national safety net.”