Council welcomes budget support for struggling households

Buckinghamshire Council has welcomed announcements made in Parliament to support those struggling with spiralling cost of living increases. In his Spring Statement to the House of Commons yesterday, the Chancellor of the Exchequer pledged to double the Household Support Fund, the funding allocated to local authorities to support those most severely impacted in their community.

Thousands of households in Buckinghamshire are facing serious financial hardship in the face of rising costs in everything from food and fuel to energy bills.  The Household Support Fund is distributed to local authorities to help them support those most severely impacted in their local area and provides a vital lifeline to many families and individuals.

Council leader Martin Tett welcomed the news from the budget statement which will see an extra £500m distributed to local authorities in coming weeks. He said: “I am pleased that the Government is responding to the call for more support to those most in need during these difficult times and is providing local authorities with the means to help our most vulnerable residents.”

The Council’s Helping Hand scheme was first set up during the pandemic to provide assistance and support for those struggling to pay their bills or provide food for their family. The scheme has continued to run and links up with local community and voluntary organisations to help people access the help they need.  More recently the scheme has additionally provided support for Afghan refugees in Buckinghamshire and is currently providing support during the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Martin continued: “We know that many of our residents are finding life extremely difficult at the moment, with one thing after another adding to the financial strain. We don’t want anyone to struggle alone, there is support available so please get in touch and let us help you. Our Helping Hand service has already helped many people and we will ensure that the new funding we are due to receive reaches those who need it most.”

The additional Household Support Fund allocation will be distributed to councils in April with full guidance and details provided over coming weeks.

To find out more about the support available locally visit our website or contact our Helping Hand team on 01296 531151 or fill out the online form.