By Aliyah Sheth
Earlier this year, the government announced an additional £500 million extension to the Household Support Grant to extend the nationwide scheme until March 2023.
From October 2021, the scheme was created to support vulnerable households with the economic crisis the country was facing during its recovery from the pandemic.
Providing funds for numerous daily necessities, households across the UK could spend the grant in any area they felt stretched for funding such as food, utilities and clothing.
In the chart above, a clear change can be seen where Leicester City Council decided to distribute the funds provided by the government recently, with most of the funding provided being put towards supporting the community with their energy and water bills.
With the first grant period ending in March 2022, it was extended into the new year, in order to aid towards the cost of the coming winter period.
On the government website, the Department for Work and Pensions Minister for Welfare, David Rutley, said: “The household support fund has been an important intervention to provide help for households facing challenges with the cost of living.
“Local authorities know what support works best in their areas.
“It has been good to see the different ways they have used the fund to enrich the lives of people in their community.
“With extensions announced, local authorities can now provide that vital support through Christmas and beyond.”
The first fund provided around 9 million homes in the UK with financial help, encouraging communities to work together to support one another.
In Leicestershire, local authorities worked alongside the Leicester City Football Club to provide meals and community cooking events for families to offer information on how to improve their skills.
READ MORE: Leicester City Council helps the needy this winter
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