Derby’s Cabinet Member for Cost of living, Equalities and Inclusion has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to urge Government to extend the Household Support Fund beyond March 2024.

Funded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), the Household Support Fund enables Local Authorities to support their most vulnerable residents through several schemes. The last round of funding (HSF4) was awarded to the Council in April 2023 and has provided a lifeline to thousands of Derby’s residents who are struggling because of the cost of living. Currently, it is unclear whether the fund will continue beyond the end of March.

In his letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon Mel Stride, MP, Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, said:

This crisis is far from over, and the withdrawal of grants such as HSF4, which currently provide a critical lifeline to many individuals and families, could be catastrophic.

He continued:

We regularly review a broad range of cost of living indicators to assess impact, including rates of Universal Credit claimants, requests for food parcels, welfare support and hardship, and numbers seeking temporary accommodation and housing options, amongst others. All of these indicators suggest increased trends in demand across the city and provide real evidence that households are continuing to struggle.

In Derby, the HSF4 is being used to maximum effect to mitigate the impact of the cost of living on families. Currently, the funding is used to support the city’s 46 Warm Welcome Hubs, provide food vouchers to children eligible for free school meals during school holidays and support households with energy and food vouchers.

Between April and December 2023, 14,827 families on free school meal entitlement received food vouchers during the school holidays, equating to approximately 873,210 meals. A further 2,718 food vouchers have been issued via the online application form to support households facing food poverty and hardship.

More than 20,600 families visited the city’s 46 Warm Welcome Hubs, accessing information and support with food and energy vouchers. Through the Warm Welcome Hubs 2,354 energy vouchers have been distributed to households in Derby.

The scale of the support which the Council has been able to provide to citizens demonstrates the ongoing need for the fund to continue. In his letter, Councillor Hezelgrave noted:

I am concerned that the Council simply cannot afford to fill the gap that HSF will leave, which will increase the risk of children going hungry and households struggling to heat their homes.  I therefore seek assurances regarding the future of Household Support Funding from you as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

The letter comes weeks after Derby City Council Leader, Councillor Baggy Shanker, wrote to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 22 December 2023 to call for an urgent review of the financial settlement for Local Government. 

A decision as to the future of the Household Support Fund is expected in the spring.

For more information about the support currently available, please visit the Derby City Council website.