Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) has accepted a grant allocation of £967,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions to help households in Midsomer Norton, Radstock, and the wider area.
The Household Support Fund is designed to help residents to be supported with living costs particularly with winter approaching.
The grant will provide support to residents in need, including low income pensioner households who need help with energy costs, as well as allowing free school meal vouchers in school holidays to continue.
It will also be used to help partner organisations of the council to provide small grants to residents in financial crisis, assisting them with buying essential items and the payment of bills and living costs.
Free school meal vouchers will be provided automatically if families received vouchers for children during the last school holiday.
This funding is allocated for the period of October 1 to March 31, with all funds needing to be disbursed in that time.
Key allocations include:
- Energy support for pensioners: £268,400 to assist pensioner households who receive Council Tax Support who do not receive Pension Credit.
- Support for food banks: £40,000 contribution to the area’s food banks for food parcel distribution.
- Future bright program: £30,000 to aid residents in accessing work through various supportive measures.
- Free school meal vouchers: £246,000 to provide vouchers for 4,100 children during school holidays.
- Citizens Advice Fuel/Food Crisis Scheme: £125,000 to support vulnerable households with fuel and food.
- Additional grants and support: Various allocations to organisations such as Bath Mind, Carers Centre, Clean Slate Financial Health, Age UK, and others to provide comprehensive assistance.
Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for resources, said: “We are committed to ensuring that our most vulnerable residents receive the support they need and the Household Support Fund will provide crucial assistance to people facing financial difficulties. This is particularly important at a time when central government has removed the universal winter fuel allowance from older residents not on pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
“We will use our sixth allocation of this funding to help residents struggling to afford household essentials, including energy and water bills, food, and other necessities. The fund will also support housing costs where existing support does not meet the demand.”