Calderdale given £1.8m cash pot in a bid to help residents through winter

The Government has made £1.8m available to Calderdale Council to hand out to struggling families this winter.
The Government says people should contact Calderdale Council to find out how to apply for the fund.The Government says people should contact Calderdale Council to find out how to apply for the fund.
The Government says people should contact Calderdale Council to find out how to apply for the fund.

The cash is the borough's allocation of a £500m Household Support Fund designed to help families with the essentials through the coldest months.

The money will be distributed by councils, says the Government, to households in their community in need of additional help.

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It will usually be handed out through small grants to meet daily needs such as food, clothing and utilities.

Those who think they could benefit should contact their local council for more details on what will be available in their community, said the Government.

“This funding is there to support those most in need by providing extra help over winter, and by working through local councils we can make sure the vulnerable people in our communities get this vital support," said David Rutley, Minister for Welfare Delivery.

The Government says the new fund is part of a wider package of support it is providing nationally this winter which also includes 2.2 million low-income households being given a £140 rebate on energy bills through the Warm Home Discount, and the Cold Weather Payment providing £25 extra a week for those in need in areas where the temperature is consistently below zero.

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Families will also benefit from the £220m Holiday Activities and Food programme over the Christmas break, offering nutritious meals and enriching activities to disadvantaged children.

The news comes amidst increasing concern that many Calderdale families are facing a tough winter because of soaring energy prices and a cut to Universal Credit.

Halifax's MP Holly Lynch, charities and the organisations which regularly help the area's most vulnerable have expressed deep concern that people will be forced to choose between heating their homes and buying food this winter.

As reported by the Courier, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Calderdale Caroline Jones said the situation was "unacceptable" and "almost Dickensian".