Nearly £5 million pledged to support vulnerable residents

Nearly £5 million is being spent by Dudley Council to support borough residents who are struggling to make ends meet.

The local authority received £4.6 million through the latest allocation of the Household Support Fund (HSF), allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Last month 16% of that sum - £750,000 - was allocated on a first come first served basis to those who applied online for one off payments of up to £250.

But as in previous rounds, most of the money is to be distributed through key council services and organisations within the voluntary sector. It is used to provide support to households experiencing financial hardship or crisis, who would otherwise struggle to buy food, pay essential utility bills, or meet other essential living or housing costs.

Nearly £3 million is to be spent supporting children and families in the borough.

Just over £1.8 million will be spent on contributing towards meals for children during school holidays, with £806,000 going into school hardship funds. £50,000 will support care leavers, with borough family hubs receiving £50,000 funding.

Just over £800,000 will be spent supporting adults of working age, with £270,000 of that going towards tackling homelessness.

A further £200,000 will go to local voluntary organisations such as Dudley CVS to provide direct support to those who need it.

Councillor Steve Clark, cabinet member for finance and legal services, said: “The one-off payments are an important lifeline we are able to give to thousands of our residents, and I was pleased we were again able to offer this last month.

“I think at the same time it’s important to point out they represent a very small portion of how the Household Support Fund is used.

“The vast majority of this funding is directed through our frontline services to ensure it reaches those who need it most.”

Councillor Andrea Goddard, cabinet member for adult social care and public health, said: “We’ve already been able to support some of our most vulnerable residents by distributing millions of pounds through earlier phases of the Household Support Fund.

“This initiative is just one part of the broader work we’re doing to support residents and ease the financial pressures many are currently facing.”

People can find more information on Dudley Council's Household Support Fund website, as well as their cost of living support pages.