£4 million for struggling families across Plymouth

Plymouth's getting an extra £4-million to extend the Household Support Fund for another year.

It can be used by struggling families for things like food, fuel and clothes - as well as buying essential furniture.

Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, said: “The extension of the Household Support Fund is going to provide a vital lifeline to many people in Plymouth, and it shows Labour’s commitment to supporting families through the cost-of-living crisis that we inherited from the Conservatives.

“The government is right to allow local authorities to choose how to spend this money.

"This funding had been due to run out, however at the budget last year, Rachel Reeves revealed that Labour are extending the Household Support Fund with £742million divided between local authorities across the country. Here in Plymouth, the funding has been used to support eligible households with vouchers for food, fuel and clothes as well as the purchase and delivery of essential household items like white goods and furniture."

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: "As a government, we inherited a deep cost of living crisis from the Conservatives. This boost to the Household Support Fund is one of the steps we are taking to help people who are struggling to make ends meet.

"Alongside this, the government is focused on bringing down bills by insulating more homes and replacing expensive fossil fuels with cheaper renewables."

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said: “We’re really pleased that the Government extended the Household Support Fund for another year, as there is still a clear need for further support in Plymouth and many of our residents continue to struggle with the cost of living.

“We are taking a more targeted approach this year, utilising the information available to us and our partners to ensure that we’re helping residents who are most in need of support. While providing crisis support is important, we want to also take a longer-term approach to help prevent households from falling into financial crisis in the future.”

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