We have been allocated £1.2 million to provide food and heating to vulnerable households and individuals across Torbay over the winter period. 

The Household Support Fund has been provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of the Government’s economic recovery plan following the pandemic and is available until the end of March 2022.

The Household Support Fund will be used to help pay for food, energy, and water bills for residents, as well as wider essential costs such as travel costs, warm clothing and blankets, cleaning products and laundry costs, phone bills and the repairing or replacing of essential white goods in the home. In exceptional cases of genuine emergency, it can additionally be used to support housing costs where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need.

The £1.2 million will be broken down to support the following areas:

• £410,000 towards free school meals vouchers for children and young people
• £60,000 to the Food Alliance to provide stock for food banks and administration
• £55,000 for food vouchers for individuals and families in temporary accommodation without access to cooking facilities
• £410,000 for fuel bills and heating costs direct to energy providers or via vouchers to those on prepayment meters.
• £200,000 for wider essentials via our Welfare Support Scheme and Children’s Services as part of the Section 17 plus £21,000 for administration.
• The remainder has been set aside as an emergency contingency fund and will be directed where more funding is required.

50% of the funding will be targeted towards vulnerable households with children with the rest being available to vulnerable households with and without children, including individuals.

Cllr Steve Darling, Leader of the Torbay Council said; “The Household Support Fund will provide a lifeline for those at risk of struggling to keep up with their bills over the winter period. No one should be without food and heating during what is already a challenging time of year. The fund is not just for households that are in receipt of benefits but anyone who is on a low income and struggling to pay for the essentials they need to stay safe and warm this winter.”

Cllr Darren Cowell, Deputy Leader of the Council said; “It is important that we support our most vulnerable households, and the Household Support Fund will help us to ensure no one is left cold or hungry this winter. Many people are getting back on their feet after a very difficult 18 months, and we must support our residents as much as we can through this fund and other schemes as well as using the support networks we have within our local community.”

Anyone wishing to find out further information and to apply for financial assistance can visit the Household Support Fund page. Alternatively, residents can also visit one of Torbay’s four libraries and ask for a paper application form.