Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed further support for vulnerable households across the city. Wolverhampton Council has been allocated an extra £5 million from the Government’s Household Support Fund. The Household Support Fund was first launched in October 2021 to help households with the cost of essentials such as food, clothing, and utilities. The latest allocation takes the total level of support provided to Wolverhampton to more than £13 million, demonstrating the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting the city’s most vulnerable.
Stuart has endorsed the decision to extend the discretionary fund for a further year, providing the Council with extra resources to ensure that the most vulnerable households in the city can continue to access support with essential food and energy costs as the Government progresses its plans to halve inflation and grow the economy, in order to ease the cost of living and give people financial security. The Government is also delivering further Cost of Living Payments in 2023/24 of £900 for households on means-tested benefits, £300 for pensioner households, and £150 for households with disabled people. In addition, the Energy Price Guarantee is continuing to protect people from increased energy costs and will run until the end of March 2024. It saved the typical family £900 in 2022-3 and will save them £500 in 2023-24.
Wolverhampton’s latest allocation is its fourth and almost double its previous allocation in November 2022. The Council has the flexibility to decide how best to spend their allocation to support people in their local area quickly and efficiently, drawing from local knowledge and direct contact with people in the community. This builds on similar support provided over the past 18 months, with the Household Support Fund now worth £2.5 billion across its lifetime. Individuals should contact their local authorities for more details on how to access it. Benefits and pensions will also increase by 10.1% in April, with the minimum wage seeing its largest ever cash rise, reaching £10.42 an hour. And more widely, the Energy Price Guarantee will save the typical household £500 in 2023/24. Stuart has published further information about support available via his website at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/support-individuals.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “Tackling inflation is our number one priority. We have a plan that will help to more than halve inflation this year and to lay the foundations for long-term economic growth so that everyone can benefit. As we do so, this extra £5 million will ensure that we continue to support vulnerable families in our city. This fund is a lifeline for local residents and, with the latest funding, means our city has been allocated £13 million to help people with the cost of essentials. This extension will ensure that vital support remains available for struggling families as we address inflation and grow the economy.”
DWP Minister Mims Davies said: “The Household Support Fund has already helped vulnerable families across England through these challenging times and I am pleased it will continue to do so for another full year... We also know that bearing down on inflation is one of the best ways to help families cope with rising bills, which is why the Prime Minister has made halving inflation this year one of his top priorities.”