Rochdale Council to receive £2.3m to help households over winter

Photo: Linda Bestwick - stock.adobe.com

The Household Support Fund, announced earlier this month, will be distributed to households in the community in need of additional help

Rochdale Borough Council is to receive over £2.3 million from the government to help households most in need with the cost of daily essentials this winter, as part of a £500m fund.

The Household Support Fund, announced earlier this month, will be distributed to households in the community in need of additional help.

Rochdale Borough Council will receive £2,337,383 for families to meet daily needs such as food, clothing and utilities.

Whilst the government says the fund has been “designed to last the winter,” Councillor Rachel Massey says the reality is that the money will ‘only replace about four weeks’ worth of support’ for the borough’s most vulnerable.

Councillor Massey, cabinet member for children’s services and education, said: “Almost 28,000 universal credit claimants in our borough have all just lost £20 per week, which is half a million pounds of support a week.

“This funding only replaces about four weeks of what is being taken away from our most vulnerable residents when prices for food, fuel and other essentials are increasing.

“Throughout the pandemic we have consistently said that there needs to be a long-term solution to ensure proper funding is in place.

“We were told that there would be no further funding to support disadvantaged households and that’s been coupled with the £20 loss on universal credit. Fuel bills are rising, food costs are on the up; the pressure on our families is incredible.

“Whilst funding is a scarce commodity that we’re not turning our nose up at, this ad-hoc sticking plaster approach is unfair on our families. What they want is long term commitments and reassurance that support for them is going to be properly funded, that way we all know where we stand.

“We’re working really hard now on plans to use this money to benefit as many residents as we can.”