More than four out of five councils expect demand for welfare
support to increase over winter, just as vital dedicated funding
for vulnerable households is due to run out, councils warn.
The Local Government Association says the Household Support Fund
– which helps people struggling to buy food, pay bills and cover
other essentials – is due to expire at the end of September and
needs to be extended for at least six months to avoid an
impending cliff-edge in support.
In an exclusive LGA survey, the vast majority of councils who
responded (94 per cent) said the fund should continue, while
nearly 60 per cent said they would not be able to provide any
additional funding for local welfare assistance if the fund came
to an end in September and only one per cent said they would be
able to match the lost funding.
Over four fifths of respondents (84 per cent) expect demand for
welfare assistance to increase over the winter months, while just
over two-thirds (67 per cent) reported that local welfare
funding, which is administered by councils, would decrease if the
Household Support Fund (HSF) was withdrawn.
Beyond the next six months, more than three-quarters of councils
said that a successor scheme should replace HSF from March 2025.
Going forward, longer-term funding settlements, a focus on crisis
prevention and reducing dependency, and greater flexibility to
decide how the funding is spent were the most common requests
from councils.
The LGA says the fund plays an essential role in tackling
disadvantage and supporting communities while people are still
experiencing the impact of the rise in living costs over the last
couple of years.
Councils are deeply concerned about the fund ending as winter
approaches, at a time when many residents are most at risk of
falling through the gaps into hardship and placing increased
pressure on already overstretched public services, such as health
and social care.
An extension would provide much-needed certainty and security for
those who are struggling to buy food, pay bills and cover other
essentials through this challenging period, and enable councils
to plan ahead and retain staff and voluntary partners to deliver
vital support.
While this should be extended again to help support households
through the short to medium-term, the LGA says this needs to be
part of a transition into a longer-term preventative and
sustainable approach, to help prevent people from falling into
poverty and hardship in the first place.
Cllr Pete Marland, Chair of the LGA's Economy and Resources
Board, said:
“The Household Support Fund is a vital safety net for vulnerable
residents struggling with the cost of living, which councils are
using to target help to those most in need, but is currently due
to run out in a matter of weeks.
“As our survey shows, services including grants for energy and
food, supplying essential furniture and white goods, paying for
energy efficiency improvements, funding food banks, offering food
vouchers for children during school holidays and employment and
financial advice are all at risk of being lost and irreplaceable.
“We are approaching another cliff-edge before the current fund
runs out and we urge the Government to urgently extend this for
at least another six months, to help support those most affected
through the winter when energy bills in particular are expected
to be higher.
“Ultimately, councils want to see a shift away from short term,
crisis support so they can instead invest in preventative
services which improve people's financial resilience and life
chances. Crucially this must be underpinned by a
sufficiently-resourced national welfare system.”
