The fund, which has paid for 472,000 meals for children during school holidays, will be provided to councils until at least March, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter

Main image credit: Boonyachoat via Canva

The extension of a government fund aimed at helping low-income Londoners has been welcomed by Waltham Forest Council, who campaigned for its continuation earlier this year.

The government this week confirmed it will extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) until March 2025, after it was initially slated to end on 30th September.

Last year, London borough councils spent £135.7million through the HSF on families living in the capital. The £1bn fund is intended for anyone who’s vulnerable, going through a crisis, or cannot pay for essential items.

Grace Williams, leader of Waltham Forest Council, said the authority was “very pleased” to be given “the clarity we need” about the fund’s future ahead of the winter.

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that “£600,000” had been spent on vulnerable Waltham Forest residents since it was last extended in April.

Around 12,000 families were provided with free school meal vouchers over the school holidays and some 1,800 payments were made directly to households “in the greatest need”.

Cllr Williams added: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis is continuing, and many people will be concerned about their finances. If you are struggling, please reach out to us.”

In January, Cllr Williams said working parents, pensioners, and people paying off mortgages could all suffer if it was scrapped. She described it as a “vital lifeline” for the “most vulnerable” in the borough.

Confirming the extension, Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said the £421m boost over the next six months was the “right thing to do”.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall added the government needed to tackle the “dire [financial] inheritance” from the previous Conservative government.

Research by London Councils, published in January, found the HSF had so far paid for 472,000 meals for children during school holidays, as well as emergency food support for 218,000 families and numerous one-off payments to cover essentials like gas or replacement appliances.

The scheme was launched by former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson in October 2021.

Though the deadline has been moved again, the HSF is not a permanent scheme.

There is nothing guaranteeing the new Labour government will roll it out further than next March. Decisions about whether it will be extended often appear to be made close to the deadline, despite councils warning they are reliant on the extra money.

The Department for Work and Pensions, or DWP, said the government was “exploring options around how best to provide sustainable support to vulnerable households in the longer term”.

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