Dear colleagues
I am pleased to share that the Buckinghamshire Household Support scheme has been launched.
Please find below details of this new fund and what you can do to help.
Buckinghamshire has been allocated just under £2.4m in government funding from the recently announced Household Support Fund. In line with the fund framework, this money will be used primarily to support those most in need with food and warmth during the winter months up until the end of March 2022. In cases of genuine emergency, the grant can also be used to support housing costs including household bills where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need.
Over 20,000 households across Buckinghamshire will be eligible for this support, including those who are facing financial hardship but are not currently in receipt of benefits. At least 50% of the total funding will be ring-fenced to support households with children, with the remaining funds available to other households genuinely in need of support this winter. We will be working with the Voluntary and Community Sector and other key partners to ensure that the support effectively reaches those who are in most need across our communities.
As part of the scheme within Buckinghamshire, we will be providing digital food vouchers during the upcoming school holidays. These vouchers will be available to those in receipt of Free School Meals, 2-year-old funding and Early Years Pupil Premium and will be distributed through schools to eligible families.
To help our communities, we would appreciate your support in letting local organisations and residents know about the Buckinghamshire Household Support scheme.
Further details can be found on the Household Support Fund page available on the council website. Residents can make direct support requests to the Helping Hand team by visiting www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/helping-hand or by calling 01296 531151.
Many thanks for your support,
Steve