West Lindsey District Council is calling on the Government to introduce a three-year extension to the Household Support Fund.
The fund has been vital in supporting struggling households in West Lindsey through both the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis since 2021. It provides essential assistance to help cover the costs of energy, food, clothing, and other basic needs.
The Household Support Fund was due to end this month (October 2024) but it has been extended for a further 6 months. However, there are no plans or commitments made for funding beyond this date.
Cllr Stephen Bunney brought a motion to the Council and stressed the funding cannot be allowed to end.
He said:
“My view is that this fund is absolutely essential if we are to help those that are vulnerable in society and those that are on poverty levels. It has to be so that it is not linked to universal credits, school meals and all those sorts of things because the margins are very small. We need to have assurance from the government that this will be provided for a three-year period.”
The Council’s Corporate Plan for 2023 - 2027 highlights the worrying rise in fuel poverty and child poverty across the district.
Currently, 27.4% of households are experiencing child poverty, with 20.1% of children aged 0-15 living in absolute low-income households—defined as earnings below 60% of the median income.
This equates to approximately 3,000 children who could face an even further decline in their standard of living if the Household Support Fund is not extended.
The fund has been distributed locally with Lincolnshire County Council working closely with district councils, including West Lindsey, to ensure that those most in need receive the support they require.
Cllr Karen Carless seconded the motion and added:
“This valuable pot of funding is what West Lindsey use for targeted support as you said examples food banks, energy costs, which we know will then spiral and free school meals to make sure those little bellies have warm dinners. Therefore, in these challenging financial times its very evidential there is a need and this funding needs an extending.”
Councillors discussed the matter at length in support of the motion and asked for special effort to be made to reach those who have not benefitted before. They highlighted the number of those affected in the district and recognised the volunteer agencies who are supporting the most vulnerable in our communities.
The motion was unanimously supported by full Council as this proposed extension would ensure continued support for the most vulnerable households in West Lindsey and across the country, protecting children and families from further financial distress.
The Leader and Chief Executive of the council will write to key Government officials, including: Rt. Hon. Sir Edward Leigh MP for Gainsborough Constituency, Rt. Hon. Sir Keir Starmer MP - Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and The Treasury, to petition for a further three-year extension to the Household Support Fund from October 2024.