Skip to main content

Household Support Fund set to help Plymouth residents this winter

Plymouth City Council will help residents with the rising costs of living this winter by distributing £2.29 million from the Government’s Household Support Fund.

The funding will support low-income households including families and single adults, people with disabilities and people at risk of homelessness or living in temporary accommodation.

Nearly £1 million of the funding will be used to help families cover the cost of meals over the school holidays until Easter 2023. Families with children that are eligible for free school meals will receive vouchers to the value of £13 per child, per week, which can be redeemed at various supermarkets.

Vouchers have already been distributed for the October half term and will also be given out during the upcoming Christmas, February half term and Easter holidays.

Council Leader Richard Bingley said: “We know that the rising costs of living and the long-term effects of the pandemic mean that many people living in Plymouth will be worried as we approach winter. The Household Support Fund is a vital resource and I’m delighted that it’s given us the means to provide additional support to our residents that are most in need, helping with food and energy costs over the coming months.”

The Council is also partnering with Plymouth Energy Community and Citizens Advice Plymouth to provide help with energy bills in the form of grants, plumbing and heating repairs, and the provision of goods and appliances that help to save energy, such as electric blankets, slow cookers and microwaves.

Funding will also be given to local voluntary sector organisations who work directly with vulnerable Plymouth residents and to food aid organisations to develop a sustainable food supply model. This would mean less focus on emergency aid and more offers such as community larders and cookery lessons. Funding will also be available for venues to provide warm, welcoming spaces across the city this winter, providing a safe, heated environment for people to spend time in.

More details about how to access the support will be shared on the Plymouth City Council website in the coming weeks.

The Council has also recently launched a new online hub signposting to useful support as the cost of living rises, which is available at plymouth.gov.uk/costofliving.