Wiltshire Council is to distribute £2.7 million to struggling households with the help of local organisations.

The money, from the Department for Work and Pensions' Household Support Fund, will help those who are struggling to buy food, pay utility bills, or meet other essential living costs.

The fund is intended to support low-income households in need, including families with children, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers, disabled people, larger families, single-person households, and those facing financial shocks or unforeseen events.

Wiltshire Council has also identified the homeless, rough sleepers, and the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, and Boater communities as needing support.

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Government guidance now allows councils to use the funding to assist with the cost of clothing, including school uniforms, period and hygiene products, and the delivery and installation of essential items such as fridges, freezers, and ovens.

It can also be used for one-off payments to prevent a crisis.

Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, cabinet member for public health, said: "Working in partnership with local organisations and charities, who are able to reach those in need in our community, has already enabled us to successfully deliver previous rounds of household support fund to households that are struggling during the current cost-of-living challenges.

"We are pleased that the government announced in the recent budget that funding will continue in 2025-26 and we await further details about this.

"We also hope the government will put in place a long-term strategy for providing support to those struggling with the cost of living.

"This latest allocation of funding is primarily to provide crisis support to those most in need, with a smaller proportion of funding also available for preventative support."

The council's partners in providing support are well-positioned to identify and address local needs.

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Among these partners are the Wiltshire Community Foundation and Community Foodbanks.

Other partners include the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Wiltshire Citizens Advice, FearFree, the Nelson Trust, Turning Point, and several housing associations.

Earlier allocations of the Household Support Fund have been distributed to families, disabled people, and older adults through more than 90 different schemes.

Food, furniture, rent contributions, fuel support, and advice are key areas where schemes have made a difference through government funding since it was first introduced in October 2021.

The council has administered the Household Support Fund across a range of areas, including free school meals in the holidays, food, energy, advice services, and other essentials.

 

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