Household Support Fund

Tuesday 4th March 2025 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Liz Kendall)]

This Government are committed to a sustainable, long-term approach to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty across the UK.

At the autumn Budget, we announced a one-year £742 million extension of the household support fund in England, from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2026. The devolved Governments will receive consequential funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way, to be spent at their discretion.

We know that local authorities have the experience and relationships to determine how best to support those in their local areas. This extension of the household support fund will enable local authorities to provide everything from immediate crisis support such as food vouchers or warm winter clothing to more preventive approaches to tackling poverty, such as referring people to debt and other advice services, working with community and voluntary organisations to signpost people to wider support, and helping with costs of energy bills and white goods.

We also encourage local authorities to consider how their provision of crisis support could have a longer-term, sustainable impact, such as providing insulation or energy-efficient household items which reduce bills and repairing or replacing white goods and appliances.

The scheme guidance and funding allocations for the forthcoming extension will be shared with local authorities imminently.

[HCWS495]