Warrington South MP Andy Carter has welcomed the latest Household Support Fund allocations from the Government for 2023/24, which will see Warrington Borough Council receive an additional £2,881,501 to support vulnerable residents. The Fund’s year-long extension takes the total level of funding provided to Warrington to £7,203,752.
The Household Support Fund is a discretionary fund provided to Local Authorities, enabling them to provide support to families struggling to cover the cost of energy and water bills, food and other related essentials, who may not be eligible for other Government support schemes.
On top of the £1billion for the Household Support Fund, the Government has put in place further cost of living payments for the next year, including up to £900 delivered in three payments to those on eligible means-tested benefits, a £150 payment for those on eligible disability benefits, and £300 on top of Winter Fuel Payments for pensioner households.
Benefits and pensions will increase by 10.1% in April, with the minimum wage also set to hit £10.42 an hour, its largest ever cash rise. The Energy Price Guarantee has also been extended until the end of March 2024, and will bring a typical household bill to around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.
Andy Carter MP said: “I’m in no doubt of the tough times many of us are facing as we recover from the pandemic and stand up to the aggression shown by Putin toward Ukraine. They’re both causing global inflationary pressures felt here in Warrington through price rises in the shops and increases in energy bills. While it looks as though inflation has peaked, there’s still a way to go until it falls back to previous levels.
“In all my conversations with Ministers I remain focused on protecting the most vulnerable, particularly families with children and elderly residents, so I’m pleased Government have allocated a further £2.8million for Warrington through the Household Support Fund. This fund is ringfenced, there’s an application process on the Council’s website so I’d urge anyone who knows someone who is struggling to make an application.”
Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression said: “The Household Support Fund has already helped many people across England through these challenging times and I am pleased it will continue to do so for another full year. This is just one part of our extensive and targeted £26 billion support package, which includes payments of £900 for millions of people on benefits and additional support for disabled people and pensioners, whilst every household will continue to save money thanks to our Energy Price Guarantee.”
