Sandwell Council has confirmed how millions of pounds will be spent supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis in the coming months.
The new fund will also be used to give people the support, skills, and confidence they need to succeed.
The council has been awarded £7.6million a year for the next three years. This will be used to support people through hard times while also helping them become more financially secure in the future.
The fund will help people when they face a financial emergency, such as struggling to pay for food, energy bills or other everyday essentials. It will also provide longer-term support to help residents access advice and manage their money, boost job prospects, and avoid future problems.
Councillor Gary Dale, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said:
"We want to make sure we make the most of this money to make a real difference for Sandwell residents. It’s about a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘handout’.
“Everyone can face hard times. A sudden bill, a change in circumstances or rising costs can quickly put pressure on household finances.
"We want people to know that support is available, and the council is here to help when you need it.
"We’re using this money to help people through a crisis, and also to set them up to succeed in the future. By targeting our support, and giving that hand up when it’s needed, we aim to make sure residents have the knowledge, skills and confidence to stay financially secure.”
Notes
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a new national government grant-funded programme, introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions, partly to replace the previous Household Support Fund (HSF) and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) schemes, both of which were administered by local authorities. It is a condition of the funding that local authorities use a significant portion on resilience services.
The council also continues to deliver other initiatives to support residents with the cost of living, including the Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF) and our Go Play program which provides free, valuable and high-quality play experiences for children and young people aged 6 – 12 years old in Sandwell.
More information about the Crisis and Resilience Fund, including how residents can access support, will be available on the council's website following the Cabinet meeting on 15 July.
