Oral Answers to Questions

Damien Egan Excerpts

Monday 11th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Alistair Strathern (Hitchin) (Lab)]

15. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the extension of the household support fund in 2025-26 on low-income households.

[Damien Egan (Bristol North East) (Lab)]

19. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the extension of the household support fund in 2025-26 on low-income households.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Andrew Western)]

No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the household support fund on low-income households in 2025-26, although we hear routinely from local authorities across the country about the impact of the fund in supporting those who are struggling. An evaluation of the fourth iteration of the scheme, running from April 2023 to March 2024, will be published shortly, exploring the benefits of the more than 19 million awards made during this period.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Western]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As a former local authority leader, I know that above all else, certainty will allow councils to design and deliver sustainable plans for local welfare assistance. The Government’s commitment to funding the HSF until March 2026 offers that certainty and time to plan with greater confidence. To that end, we will confirm individual allocations for the forthcoming one-year extension to the HSF as soon as possible, and ahead of the scheme beginning on 1 April.

[Damien Egan]

Because the household support fund is devolved to local councils, there are lots of different examples of how the funding is spent, so how will the Minister ensure that the money from councils goes to the people who really need it?

[Andrew Western]

Like me, my hon. Friend is a former local authority leader—albeit a directly elected mayor, and with a far greater mandate, therefore, than I ever enjoyed. Like me, he will appreciate the importance of empowering local areas to respond to local need. That said, all councils must develop delivery plans to show how they are targeting the funds to support the most vulnerable, to ensure that the spirit of the HSF is upheld in helping low-income households with the cost of essentials.