Yesterday, 20th February, the Government announced an extension of the Household Support Fund – providing an additional £842 million to support the most vulnerable households to deliver on their pledge to halve inflation.  “I urge local families who are in financial difficulty to speak with their local council or Citizen’s Advice Bureau to ensure they are receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled” Michael says.

“I recognise that rising prices as a result of global economic pressures including Covid-19 and Putin’s war on Ukraine have left many families struggling in Staffordshire” says Michael Fabricant.  “So I am pleased that the Government has extended their unprecedented support targeted at the most vulnerable into 2024 through £900 means-tested Cost of Living Payments, the Energy Price Guarantee and the £2.5 billion Household Support Fund.

“Staffordshire will receive £11,013,096 in this latest round of funding to help families that need support with the cost of essentials in the face of rising costs.  And this takes the total level of support to £27,532,740 to the county – supporting the most vulnerable in these times of financial hardship.

“The Household Support Fund is a discretionary fund provided to local authorities enabling them to provide support to vulnerable families struggling to cover essential costs who may not be eligible for other Government support schemes.

“Further support, on top of the £1 billion of funding for the Household Support Fund, includes means-tested £900 Cost of Living Payments, a £150 payment for disabled people, and £300 for pensioner households. The Energy Price Guarantee also protects people from rising energy costs this year until the end of March 2024, bringing a typical household bill to around £3,000 per year.”

Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression says:  “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.”