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Household Support Fund | Sandwell Council

Supporting Sandwell with the cost of living

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Household Support Fund

Household Support Fund October 2022 to March 2023

The Household Support Fund is money given to councils by the Government to help people in need of financial support.

Sandwell Council has received £3.4million to help residents between October 2022 and March 2023

This is how it will be spent:

  • £1.8million will be spent funding food vouchers for 18,000 children eligible for free school meals over the October, Christmas, February half-term and Easter holidays.
  • £325,000 will be used helping 500 low income households that missed out on the £650 Cost of Living payment as they weren’t on a qualifying benefit. Find out more and who is eligible for this payment.
  • £190,000 will be used to support 450 care leavers and foster carers and special guardians.
  • A further £275,000 will be used to support the council’s Local Welfare Provision scheme – where residents can apply for financial help in a crisis.
  • £100,000 will be given to local food banks
  • £126,000 will be spent supporting disabled households who receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, who are most affected by increasing energy bills. Find out more and who is eligible for this payment.
  • The council is also working with schools on a range of measures to ensure children are well fed, including help to set up breakfast clubs, free school meals for children whose families just miss out on the eligibility criteria and helping families struggling to send their children to school with packed lunches. £300k has been set aside for this support.
  • £200,000 will fund helping council and private tenants on a low income and not in receipt of benefits who are struggling with rent and rent arrears.
  • £15,000 will be spent helping Sandwell families who are hosting refugees from Ukraine with increased household costs.
  • £20,000 will support the running of the council’s 29 Warm Spaces.

Requests for support with rent or rent arrears is now closed. Further details of the support available from March 2023 will be shared soon.

There’s no need to apply for the Household Support Funding mentioned above – payments will be made automatically to eligible households this winter.

If you are experiencing exceptional financial hardship, applications for crisis payments can be made to the Local Welfare Provision Scheme.

The funding is limited by the Department for Work and Pensions. Once the fund has been exhausted, no further awards can be made.

Download our Household Support Fund policy for further details.

Household Support Fund April 2023 to March 2024

The Government has announced Sandwell will receive £6.9million in 2023/24 to support Sandwell residents with the rising cost of living. Further details of how this funding will be shared soon.

Find out more about the 2023/2024 Household Support Fund.