Council supporting thousands of vulnerable residents

October 19, 2022

Thousands of vulnerable people across the city have benefited from £1.4m worth of funding allocated to Southend-on-Sea City Council.

The Household Support Fund (HSF2) covered the period between April to September and saw the council deliver £1.4m of government funding to those that needed it most across the city.

Additional funding was added to the existing Essential Living Fund scheme which already provides support to vulnerable people struggling with general living costs. A total of 1,129 households received food, fuel, and water grants.

The free school meals scheme saw 10,288 free school meal vouchers issued to eligible children from every school year. Each child received £15 for the May half term and £45 for the summer holidays. The council can also announce that it will continue the scheme during the October half term, Christmas holidays and February half term with each eligible child receiving a £15 voucher for the week.

The Southend Emergency Fund saw over 2,314 households awarded grants to cover food, fuel including water, and essentials linked to energy and water. This fund sees organisations such as churches, community groups, charities and non-profit organisations and schools submit bids for grants up to a set limit to support vulnerable households across the city.

The council also worked with Citizens Advice Southend who provided targeted support for food and fuel grants which saw a total of 721 households receive assistance with their food, fuel including water, and essentials linked to energy and water.

Cllr Stephen George, leader of the council, said: “The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone, and we know people are worried about rising costs and are struggling. Through the Household Support Fund, we are focussing on the most vulnerable people facing difficulties with general living costs.

“So far, we have helped over 4,000 households between April and September, and we will continue to support those most in need. We have also received further funding from the government to cover the period between October to March next year, and we will again set up several avenues for granting assistance including free school meals for the October half term, winter break and February half term, continued support for food and fuel costs, and warm banks located across our city.

"We will continue to support our most vulnerable residents for as long as the cost of living crisis persists.”

Are you struggling with the cost of living crisis? You may be eligible for the financial support listed on the council’s website.