This funding, which extends the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) until 31 March 2025, aims to provide relief to those facing financial hardship.
Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children's Services, Councillor Roz Chadd, recently approved the programme and said: “We're delighted that we can extend the Household Support Fund help for another six months which will help low-income families and individuals who are struggling financially. We'll focus on providing essential support to those who need it most, including working families facing rising food and energy costs, but who might not qualify for other Government assistance.
“We will also continue to work closely with other local organisations including district and borough councils, education providers, charities and neighbourhood groups to ensure that eligible households receive support with food, energy and water bills and assistance with essential household items.”
The funding allocations include:
Hampshire-wide grants
- £2,473,854 to develop sustainable food and fuel support and grants for the community pantry network;
- £482,964 to be made available to Citizens Advice East Hampshire to support the most vulnerable households in Hampshire with utility costs;
- £110,736 to Citizens Advice Hampshire to deliver specialist resource targeting those who need extra help to navigate online application processes;
- £421,250 to organisations that support unpaid carers and young carers;
- £220,000 to the Environment Centre to provide guidance and support to households on energy-related issues as well as provision of practical household items;
- £75,040 for the Hampshire Library Service to extend and develop its current community offer;
- £140,000 to enable the community wellbeing service that provides preventative services for older adults, including reducing food and fuel poverty, to be extended for six months.
Community grants
- £250,533 is available as community grants for locally based organisations to support residents, such as community pantries.
Grants to District/Borough Councils - £455,963 is available for exceptional housing costs.
Grants through education settings - £1,265,212 for schools, colleges and early years settings to offer support at their own discretion to families most in need of help.
Hampshire County Council social care support - £989,679 for direct support to households, such as food vouchers for children in care, foster carers, connected carers, families supported by the
Disabled Children’s Team, care leavers, households supported by the Hampshire Youth Justice Service, asylum-seeking children and other vulnerable families.
For full details of the grant allocations, see the Decision Day report here.
The Household Support Fund and the Department for Education funded Holiday Activities and Food programme are both administered through connect4communities.
The connect4communities website includes information for households seeking help and for organisations looking to deliver support. Information about applying for community grants will be added to the website in the coming weeks.