The Leader of Manchester City Council has hailed the Government’s commitment today (Monday 2 September) to continue the Household Support Fund.
This fund provides crucial extra support for those most financially in-need and had been due to expire at the end of September 2024.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Over the last decade we have seen levels of poverty unprecedented in modern times as national policy decisions have bitten, compounded by the cost of living crisis. Manchester has led the calls for a national anti-poverty plan.
“We have campaigned vociferously for the Household Support Fund to be extended, both under previous Governments and the current one, and I am pleased that the Chancellor has heeded those calls.
“The funding enables us to provide a vital lifeline for tens of thousands of Manchester residents struggling to manage cost of living pressures.
“While we continue long-term work to address the causes of poverty, there is no doubt that extra short-term help is still urgently needed for those feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis on top of 14 years of austerity.
“Today’s announcement will ensure we can give that extra support to those who need it most and we will work with the new government to tackle the long-term root causes.”
In the most recent round of HSF funding, running from April to September 2024, Manchester City Council received £6.45m of funding. The Council has used the funding to help address the impact of fuel and food poverty and to target support at the most vulnerable households.
During this time around 70,000 residents will have been supported:
- 44,000 children and young people receiving free school meals holiday support
- 29,000 vulnerable households receiving cost of living support payments
- 500 hard-to-reach households receiving cost of living support payments
- 10,000 households receiving food support
- 2,000 children and young people accessing additional Holiday Activity Fund support
- 250 care leavers receiving a top-up income
In 2023/24,the Council received £12.9m in HSF funding which was used to provide support to around 60,000 residents:
- 40,000 children and young people received free school meals holiday support
- 12,500 vulnerable households received cost of living support payments
- 1,750 hard-to-reach households received costof living support payments
- 6,000 children and young people accessed Holiday Activity Fund support
- 400 care leavers received a top-up income
Officers will now begin drawing up plans for how the latest funding will be best spent.