WLWS Household Support Fund

Central Government recently extended the Household Support Fund grant for a further six months, to support those most in need to help with rising living costs, specifically food, energy, and linked essentials. Warwickshire’s allocation is £3.47million to cover the period 1 October 2024 up to 31 March 2025.

Warwickshire County Council is continuing to distribute its Household Support Fund grant allocation via the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme (WLWS). This includes an extended welfare offer, a countywide utility voucher campaign, cost of living support for families/carers of children eligible for benefits related free school meals, a further grant to Act on Energy, and welfare grants for community-led groups and initiatives, including schemes led by district and borough councils that meet the funding criteria.

To meet DWPs specific grant conditions, the project will need to meet immediate needs, and help those who are struggling to afford food, energy and water bills, and other related essentials. Funding will be for one-off payments only and must be committed by 31 March 2025. The grant conditions allow for the funding of advisory support, but it must meet the above mentioned criteria and be linked to the practical element of the project i.e. cannot be an application for advice services only. Unfortunately, the grant cannot be used to support sustainability of ongoing projects/initiatives.

Every application will be considered on its own merits, however funding is limited and awarding of the grant will depend on the number of applications received and the impact of the project on vulnerable people e.g. number of vulnerable people helped or supporting a particularly hard to reach vulnerable group. For information, in previous funding rounds the average amount awarded has been between £2,800 and £9,000.

Previous examples :

• Starter packs for homeless young people when they move into accommodation for the first time, including essential household items and a food pack.
• Holiday lunches / hamper projects.
• Food packages to vulnerable households, those on low income, pensioners, those on long term sick, families and young children as well as those with disability or mobility issues that are struggling financially with the cost of living challenges
• Fresh fruit and veg boxes for adults or families on low or no income.
• Energy support – LED lightbulbs, heated throws, slow cookers, blankets, hot water bottles, microwave wheat bags and door draught excluders.
• Food and personal hygiene products to make up emergency parcels for young people estranged from family networks.
• Community stores/food banks
• Hot home cooked nutritious meals at a weekly community cafe for vulnerable adults and older people.

As with all the other funding streams, we will need to provide the justification, audit trail etc. to the DWP to receive the funding. Please find a grant application form that needs to be returned to localwelfarescheme@warwickshire.gov.uk for consideration by Wednesday 13 November 2024.

Please ensure that you demonstrate the following:

• Applications must be to support residents of Warwickshire
• Applications must demonstrate how projects will support the most vulnerable in our community and respond to a specific immediate need. Immediate need for these grants is defined as a problem, issue, or situation where something needs to change quickly to make things better for a vulnerable person or group of vulnerable people.
• Applications must include a breakdown of costs. This includes any administration costs, which should be relevant and kept to a minimum.

The panel will review and award all successful applications by Friday 29 November 2024.

email at localwelfarescheme@warwickshire.gov.uk