Families at risk of losing vital lifeline

We’re urging the government to commit to the Household Support Fund beyond April 2024, ensuring the most vulnerable households don’t lose out on vital support.

In recent years, the Household Support Fund (HSF) has been the final line of defence for those struggling with the cost of living. However, without any mention in the Autumn Statement of an extension, the Fund’s future is uncertain. The HSF supports those who can’t afford essentials like food, energy bills and water through proactive and application-based support and is a vital lifeline for thousands of struggling families in Wigan Borough. 

As it stands, the Household Support Fund will end in April 2024. This sits alongside the ending of the Cost of Living Payments totalling £900 that have been made across 2023–24 to low income households. The loss of both sources of support at once risks creating a financial cliff-edge for hundreds of households in Wigan Borough. 

Last year, Wigan received over £6.6m to support some of the most vulnerable low income families with children, families and individuals across the borough to provide support towards essential household costs. Since April 2023, Wigan Council has made over 60,000 awards for emergency food and energy support through professional and self referrals, along with approximately 20,000 proactive awards to families on free school meals, low income pensioners, care leavers and households with disabilities. 

The funding has been a lifeline to many with an increase in demand reflecting the financial challenges so many residents are facing. Citizens Advice Wigan Borough has seen a 141% increase in the last year in people needing access to crisis support and food banks, alongside a 171% increase in people being unable to afford their energy bills. Many households are dependent on the Household Support Fund to keep their families warm and with enough food to eat healthily.  

Cessation of the Household Support Fund after March would represent a significant loss to Wigan residents and with the current uncertainty around the future of the scheme there is a real concern relating to food and fuel poverty affecting households of all kinds, including pensioners, families with children and those with disabilities. That’s why we’re urging the government to commit to extending the funding from April 2024 and beyond, ensuring that the most vulnerable households  are able to put food on the table and warm their homes.