In March 2022, the Chancellor announced that the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) would be doubled. The fund is designed help those most in need as the cost of living crisis continues. That cash is now being fed through to local councils.
There has been talk in other areas of the country about a £200 boost that is being paid to some of the most vulnerable but that doesn't apply to Nottinghamshire. Here's why and what county residents will be getting instead.
In Nottinghamshire, £5.6 million of funding has already been made available and used to provide help including Free School Meals vouchers and help to cover essential household costs. Now, with the second tranche of money handed to Nottinghamshire County Council, another £5.6 million is available to help those most vulnerable in the midst of rising prices.
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This cash must reach those in need in Nottinghamshire by September 30, so just where is it going this time? How the funding is used in each area is decided by the local councils (Nottinghamshire County Council is managing the fund for the county authorities - not Nottingham City Council). The money must be spent supporting households in the most need - particularly those including children and pensioners who would otherwise struggle with energy bills, food and water bills. In Nottinghamshire, how the county allocates the money is different to how the city spends the fund and how other districts decide to help their residents.
All the exact details of the spend are still to be announced, but it is understood help will come in the form of vouchers with the amount of help received dependent upon individual circumstances. You won't need to apply for the funding, referrals will be made by a network of frontline workers across the county. Those who are eligible for the vouchers will be contacted directly by their borough or district council over the coming weeks.
Here's what we know so far on how the money will be spent - for Nottinghamshire county only
Families
Free school meal vouchers - Around 30,000 children from low-income households will receive Free School Meal vouchers over the school summer holidays. Each entitled child will receive £50 of food support for the five-week period.
Pensioners
One third of the new Household Support Funding, amounting to almost £1.9 million, will be spent on helping vulnerable people of a pensionable age. The funding will be rolled out in the coming weeks and will rely on referrals made by a network of frontline workers across the county. The County Council intends to use a voucher scheme to deliver it.
Most vulnerable
More than £600,000 of HSF funding will be made available to households in need where the occupants are not of pensionable age and have no children.
Councillor John Cottee, cabinet member for communities at the county council, said: “Nottinghamshire County Council continues to recognise the financial difficulties faced by a significant number of households across the county.
“We’ll be working with benefits teams, housing officers and social workers, in the County Council, our district and borough council partners, and voluntary and community sector partners to make sure we identify those who are struggling. We want to make sure they get the help they need."
In each case, those who are eligible for the vouchers will be contacted directly by their borough or district council over the coming weeks.
Councillor Tracey Taylor, cabinet member for children and young people, added: “Providing £1.5 million from the Household Support Fund, to make sure thousands of Nottinghamshire schoolchildren don’t go hungry during the summer holiday, once again reaffirms our commitment to help households who are most in need of support.
“Nottinghamshire County Council was one of the first in the country to support the Free School Meals initiative in March 2020. I’m very pleased that we have been able to continue to provide children from low-income households with free school meals outside of term time through the Household Support Fund.
“This latest announcement is in addition to other continuing schemes to support the wellbeing of children in the county, including our Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) which focuses on supporting youngsters to improve their knowledge of health and nutrition and encouraging them to eat more healthily and be more active during school holidays.”
Details will be finalised in the coming weeks and amounts will be dependent upon individual circumstances.
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