Families in need are getting extra government support in time for Christmas

Supermarket vouchers, winter clothing and funding for utility bills are among the support now being offered to vulnerable families through the government’s Covid Winter Grant Scheme (CWGS) announced last month.

• Millions of pounds from the CWGS reached local authority bank accounts at the end November, helping councils from Cornwall to Cumbria to support vulnerable people this Christmas and beyond. Examples of funded schemes include:

• Wirral is making £200,000 available to help low-paid households who are struggling to cover water or energy bills, with support being led by their local branch of Citizens Advice.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: 

“No child should have to worry about food or warmth this winter. We have worked with Councils across England to ensure the £170 million Covid Winter Grant delivers well-targeted support as quickly as possible, primarily focusing on heating and eating for disadvantaged families with children.”

The grants are focused on helping families buy essentials, with at least 80% of funds ring-fenced to be spent on food, energy and water bills, with 20% available for other associated essential costs. Councils can also offer support to vulnerable individuals and households without children.

The remainder of the funds will be given in 2021, as the scheme is designed to run until the end of March. The money is distributed to local authorities based on population size, whilst also weighting for deprivation in the local area.

Wider Support

This is all part of the Government’s long-term plan to tackle poor health, hunger and education. In addition to the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, from Easter 2021 the Holiday Activities and Food Fund will be expanded with £220m of funding to cover the major school holidays that year. This will help disadvantaged children get healthy food and take part in fun and enriching activities. 

Healthy Start scheme payments are also set to increase from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from next April, and the government has pledged additional funding of £16m for the food distribution charity FareShare. 

Devolved administrations have received equivalent funding through the upfront funding guarantee, which was recently increased to £16bn for the year to support their Covid-19 response.

• The guidance for local authorities can be found on gov.uk: gov.uk/government/publications/covid-winter-grant-scheme

Case Studies & Funding Allocations

Wirral

Wirral Council, who received over £1.2m from the scheme, are investing up to £250,000 through individual grants (worth up to £10,000 each) to community-based food and welfare support groups. They are also making £200,000 available to help households having difficulties with water and energy bills, with support being led by Citizens Advice Wirral.

£37,000 is being made available to help vulnerable older people facing food poverty. Merseyside Fire & Rescue service will make ‘safe and well’ visits to vulnerable households, providing up to 400 temporary radiators. They will also provide up to 1300 winter warmth packages, containing a scarf, gloves, socks, blanket, mug and gilet. And £30,000 will be made available to help around 120 households in financial crisis who need to call out a heating engineer in emergency circumstances.

Over £385,000 will be used to provide breakfast and lunch to over 6,300 local children during the Christmas holidays and February half term. And £80,000 will be earmarked to help Wirral’s Humanitarian Cell to provide emergency support for people in crisis, by offering support for specialist food, clothing and essential items, such as white goods.