Merseyside residents who are facing financial hardship this winter will be offered further government support to help them through the colder months.
Residents in St Helens will be supported by a new grant that aims to help vulnerable people buy food, pay utility bills and meet other essential living costs over winter.
At a meeting last week, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet approved the distribution of a £1,779,581 ‘Household Support Fund’ allocated by central government.
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The DWP announced the fund last month and confirmed that the North West will get a £66m boost supported by the Household Support Fund to help families in need this winter.
The government has £500m available nationally - and the Minister of Welfare Delivery has described the additional support as "vital".
The grant is primarily intended to cover food and energy during the colder months, with guidance stipulating that at least 50 per cent of funding should be provided to households with children or young adults.
Operating between now and March 2022, the funding has been split into three sections within the borough:
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£889,000 used to support households in receipt of certain qualifying benefits, with payments made directly in December 2021
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£490,000 to help families towards the cost of free school meal over the Christmas (2021) and February (2022) holidays
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£300,581 to the local welfare assistance scheme to support residents with vouchers where there is an immediate need for help with food or fuel costs (applications required)
Councillor Martin Bond, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Governance, said: “One of our key priorities is to be a responsible council and that means continuing to put our most vulnerable residents first.
“With the ever-increasing cost of living, many in our communities are faced with difficult decisions like choosing between eating and heating, which simply should not be happening in this day and age.
“We welcome this funding which will be put to good use in the true spirit of St Helens Together, ensuring support is in place to support residents that may experience financial difficulties during the coldest months.”
The new fund has been allocated as part of a wider package the Government is providing this winter to help support people.
This includes 2.2 million low-income households across Merseyside being given a £140 rebate on energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, and the Cold Weather Payment providing £25 extra a week for those in need in areas where the temperature is consistently below zero.
For more information on the grant, visit St Helens Borough Council's website here.
