Latest round of Household Support Fund now open

This financial support will be used to help people meet the costs of food and household items, and support packs, including nappies, baby food and sanitary products

The latest round of the Household Support Fund opened on Saturday 1 October, with Rochdale Borough Council  receiving a further £2.3 million from the government to help local families.

The funding - £2,337,383.85 - is available for Rochdale Borough Council to help households with energy bills, food costs and household essentials. 

Updated guidance on who can receive the funding has removed ringfences that asked councils to ensure certain groups of people received large portions of the funding, meaning councils are able to prioritise those most in need in their individual areas as they see fit.

This latest round of funding – first announced earlier this year – runs until 31 March 2023.

The council was granted £2.3 million by government earlier this year, which it topped up by a further £1m. The latest allocation of £2.3 million funding means Rochdale has had a total of £5.6 million available to support local families.

Victoria Prentis, Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions, said: “The Household Support Fund has been an important government support scheme for many of those in need over the past year, and I’m very pleased that our decision to extend it means it will continue to help people with the costs of essentials – including food and energy – this winter.

“Millions of low-income families will have also received at least £1,200 from the government to help with the cost of living, and our Energy Price Guarantee is helping households across the country heat their homes as the nights get longer.”

The Household Support Fund can provide assistance for those in greatest need through:

• Targeted help with energy costs for people aged over 66
• Supermarket and fuel vouchers through the council’s Household Assistance Fund
• Support for the Household Energy Scheme, operated through Groundwork, to assist with energy bills and low-cost energy-saving measures                                             
• Households in particular need are being encouraged to get in touch, to see what assistance could be available for them.

Residents can go to www.rochdale.gov.uk/householdsupport or phone the hotline number on 01706 923685, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.