Council joins calls to extend vital crisis funding

The council has joined calls to extend the Household Support Fund which helps struggling households in Bracknell Forest.

Other organisations including The Children’s Society, Trussell Trust, Barnardo’s, the Local Government Association, and councils across the country are calling on the government to extend the crisis funding, which is due to end on 31 March. 

The fund helps councils provide emergency support suited to the needs of their communities. It often helps families with essentials such as food, energy or help with providing white goods or furniture. 

So far this year, funding from the Household Support Fund has been used to directly support over 6,000 households in Bracknell Forest with:

• help with school holiday food costs for over 2,500 households in receipt of free school meals
• help with food costs for nearly 900 low-income households who did not qualify for government help with the cost of living
• over £52,000 worth of essential household items such as beds, washing machines and fridges, for households facing emergency financial crisis
• providing £160,000 to the voluntary and community sector to help more low income households in the community

Without this funding there are concerns there will be a major gap in support which could severely affect children’s health, wellbeing and life chances. 

Cllr Mary Temperton, leader of the Bracknell Forest Council and executive member for council strategy, said:

“The Household Support Fund has been a lifeline for many in our community, enabling us to address immediate needs while also working towards long-term solutions to financial hardship.  

“We have written to the government and have spoken to our local MP James Sunderland, asking them to take action to keep this funding in place. We are also supporting the campaign from the Local Government Association to retain the Household Support Fund. This was following unanimous support at a full council meeting in November 2023.”  

Mark Russell, chief executive of The Children’s Society, said:

“The Household Support Fund has provided a vital safety net for so many families facing financial crisis and destitution. 

“We have seen it provide a wide range of support, like when a family has a sudden job loss, bereavement or boiler breakdown. It can also supply food vouchers for children over the summer. We are really concerned that if the funding is not renewed past March these vouchers will disappear and holiday hunger will be a major issue. 

“We are asking the public to write to their MP to call on the Government to take action and extend the fund so families in crisis aren’t left without support.” 

For more information, visit the Children’s Society website.