Household Support Fund

In 2025/26 the UK Government has provided the County Council with a grant to increase the funding available for cost-of-living support. The County Council is using the Household Support Fund in the following ways:

1. The free school meal equivalent support payment for school holiday periods and the parallel scheme for early years, see our Help with rising living costs page. 
2. We are delegating funding to the City and District councils to allow them to meet locally identified needs better and support the voluntary and community sector. 
3. We run a Residents Support Scheme which anyone experiencing financial crisis can apply to for help with essential living costs
4. We fund a range of organisations in the county to provide localised support with the cost of living

Information on help available is also published on the Government’s Cost of Living Hub.