Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey
MP): Our £407 billion COVID support package
has protected jobs and livelihoods through the worst of the
pandemic. With the UK economy rebounding, our Plan for Jobs is
working, with thenumber of payrolled employees
now above pre-pandemic levels and vacancies are
at record levels. Thanks to the formidable force of our jabs and
jobs armies, and an expansion of the Government’s Plan for Jobs
worth over £500 million, we are building back better – helping
people to move into better-paid work, progress, and increase
their financial resilience. Our approach is boosting pay,
prospects and prosperity for the long-term.
However, we recognise that some people may require extra support
over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which
is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able
to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with
essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million
to help vulnerable people in England and allocations to
individual local authorities are set out below. The Barnett
Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved
administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41 million for the
Scottish Government, £25 million for the Welsh Government and £14
million for the NI Executive), so the fund totals £500 million.
The Household Support Fund is available to councils in England
from this month and will run over the winter to 31 March 2022.
The funding will primarily be used to support households in need
with food, energy and water costs, with flexibility to support
with wider essentials. In cases of genuine emergency (where
existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional
need), the Household Support Fund can also be used to support
housing costs. At least 50% of the funding will be reserved for
households with children and up to 50% is available for
vulnerable households without children, including individuals.
Local Authorities have the flexibility to design their schemes to
best suit local needs, within the parameters of the guidance.
This new Fund will bolster existing measures we have introduced
for low-income households, such as increasing the national living
wage, expanding the £220 million Holiday Activities and Food
Programme, doubling free childcare for eligible working parents
and increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers by over a
third. The Household Support Fund also sits alongside the support
available through the Warm Home Discount, the Cold Weather
Payment scheme and the almost £30 billion Government is projected
to spend in 2020/21 on housing benefit and the housing element of
Universal Credit.
Table attached for the: Household Support Fund
Indicative Funding Allocations per County
Councils/Unitary Authorities for the period 06 October 2021 to 31
March 2022
