Household Support Fund: How to apply for cost of living grant in Peterborough and who is eligible in round 3

Peterborough City Council will be extending the Household Support Fund – described by Cabinet members as "a lifeline for residents most affected by the cost-of-living crisis."

The fund was launched by the Government in November 2021 supporting those people who had been most impacted by the pandemic and were struggling to make ends meet.

The Household Support Fund has been extended a number of times but the latest Household Support Fund 3 (HSF3) extension will cover the period of autumn and winter between 2022 and 2023.

The funding will now be put towards four different groups, including extending the school voucher scheme, helping those of pension age and households with children below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum income standard and contributing towards direct grants for voluntary organisations.

‘Real lifeline’

Councillor Steve Allen, speaking at the Peterborough City Council Full Cabinet meeting, said: “The Household Support Fund has been a real lifeline for so many people in our city since it was launched, and I am pleased it has been extended once again so that we can help even more residents.

“We are all affected by the rising cost of living, but for some people the impact upon their lives is huge and they may not be able to afford household bills or buy food. These are the people we want to be able to help.”

The amount of money being allocated to Peterborough for HSF3 will not be announced by the Government until early October - but is expected to be in the region of £1.82 million.

The deputy leader of the council added: “We are yet to hear how much we will receive from October, but we still have funding to support people in the current round of the scheme, so if you are struggling to make ends meet, please get in touch.

“These are really tough times, unprecedented in terms of the cost of fuel, so there is no shame in asking for help.”

So, how much is being given to the four groups?

Cabinet members approved the allocation of the funds for HSF3 on 20 September.

It’s expected the school voucher scheme will receive £746,000 with each eligible child to receive a £10 supermarket voucher for the October half-term break and a £30 supermarket voucher for the Christmas Holiday, followed by another £10 supermarket voucher for the February 2023 half-term break. £273,695 will be given to adults of pension age born before 30 September 1956 experiencing financial hardship or, who are on or below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum income standard (to be determined by officers of the council). Individual awards continuing to be between £100 and £200 depending on assessment of need. £504,641 will be ringfenced for households with children living in Peterborough who are below the Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum income standard. Each eligible person will receive awards in the form of vouchers between £100 and £200 so that, if the average voucher were £150, this would cover 3,027 households. Finally, the remaining £300,000 will go into ‘support direct grants’ for local voluntary and community organisation who are already delivering or, who would like to deliver food and essential supplies – such as foodbanks, lunch clubs, community cafes or other charities that issue essentials to those in need in Peterborough.

Councillor Lynne Ayres, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills, and the University, said: “I am delighted we can continue supporting families through the next three school holiday periods.

“These vouchers make such a difference to so many families and take the pressure off when they have children at home who are not getting their usual term-time free school meal.

“We will be contacting those who are eligible with details of the voucher scheme for October half-term in the coming weeks.”

More information about the Household Support Fund, including how to apply and eligibility criteria for the HSF3 funding scheme is available from Peterborough City Council.