A fund to help struggling households with bills and essentials has been extended by the Government to cover the winter period. The Household Support Fund, which was due to expire at the end of September, will run for another six months.
Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said:
“Local councils use The Household Support Fund to deliver crucial support to those most in need – like helping families stock their empty fridge or keep the heating on.
“With more and more families struggling to make ends meet and with fuel prices set to rise this winter, we welcome the Government’s decision to extend the Fund.
“While this is a positive first step, much more needs to be done: our research has found families increasingly reaching crisis – with applications for help buying children’s beds or bedding quadrupling in just five years.
“Growing up in poverty can mean going to school hungry and returning to a cold home, and it affects children’s health well into adulthood. We urge the Government to use the October budget to take bold steps so that every family can afford the essentials.”