£3 million cash boost allows Havering to extend its Help Fund.

Havering Council has once again committed an extra £3.2 million to support residents with the cost of living crisis until the end of the financial year.

The extra money will be used to top up the Havering Helps emergency assistance fund, which grants emergency payments of £100 to those in desperate need.  

In the last year, the Havering Helps scheme processed 13,000 successful applications for emergency funds, which cost over £1.4m. Over 1,100 of those applications were made by residents with disabilities, and over 90 per cent were from households on Universal Credit and other benefits.

The £3m funding comes from the government’s Household Support Fund for local authorities, and will also be used to support a number of schemes the Council currently runs to help vulnerable residents, including children, pensioners and care leavers.

The additional funding includes:

• Over £1m for the Havering Helps emergency assistance scheme, which offers emergency payments to help cash-strapped residents with food, household bills and money to buy and replace broken white goods (washing machines, ovens and fridge freezers)
• A further £1.1m so we can continue our School Holiday Meal Scheme for another year, ensuring up to 9,000 children of eligible families don’t go hungry over school holidays
• Over £500,000 for pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Support – with £100 credit to their Council Tax accounts which can be transferred to their bank accounts
• £225,000 for 300 care leavers to help with their fuel and food bills throughout the year
• Further funds have also been allocated for children’s accommodation and for families and children coming to the borough under the Ukraine Visa Scheme.

Councillor Ray Morgon, Leader of Havering Council, said:

“It’s been an incredibly tough winter for many of our most vulnerable residents, as energy bills and the cost of living has continued to rise and more people slip below the poverty line.  

“It is imperative that we do everything we can to support those who, through no fault of their own, are struggling to make ends meet. Continuing the Havering Helps emergency assistance scheme for another year will mean we can keep that vital safety net in place for those who need it.

“These funds will go directly to help those people and services in Havering that need it most, and I am glad we are able to do what we can despite the Council’s own financial challenges.”

If you’re struggling with the rising cost of living, you can visit the Council’s cost of living support page and sign up for free email updates on the latest advice and support available.

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