Barnardo’s has written to the Chancellor today alongside representatives from more than 120 other organisations, including The Welcome Centre calling for an urgent extension to the fund.
The charities warn of the ‘devastating consequences’ for families facing hardship if the fund is not extended.
Dear Chancellor,
We are writing to you as a group of organisations deeply concerned about the future of the Household Support Fund (HSF).
No family should have to choose between heating their home or feeding their children in the UK in 2024. When someone is facing hardship they need to be able to turn to their local authority for help. The HSF has enabled many to do so with 26 million grants given to households struggling to afford the essentials.[1]
The clock is now ticking - current funding for the HSF ends on 31 March. Not extending it beyond this point will leave a major gap in support which neither local government, nor the voluntary sector will be able to fill.
Ahead of the Spring Budget, we are urging you to extend the Household Support Fund for at least the next year, so that families facing hardship, hunger, and unexpected costs are able to get the help they need in their communities.
The HSF has enabled councils to provide vital support, helping families in crisis access essentials, receive advice and support and get practical help with things like furniture and white goods. 62% of local welfare spending was financed by the HSF in 2022/23 and need is growing.[2] New Barnardo’s research shows that crisis requests to local authorities for children’s beds and bedding alone rose from 4,000 in 2019 to 18,000 in 2023.[3]As organisations on the front-line we know how important local authority support is to the children, families and individuals we work with. This is a crucial part of our social safety net and its removal will have devastating consequences.
Too many households are one unexpected cost away from having to make impossible decisions about their spending. 1 in 7 parents have fallen into arrears or gone into their overdraft due to rising costs and 4.2 million children – more than 1 in 4 – are living in poverty.[4] Without support in place families are often left with no option but to take on debt or go without even more of the essentials we all need.
Up and down the country local authorities are doing what they can to help people who are struggling to make ends meet in times of hardship. This is not something any of us can afford to see diminish when the current round of HSF funding ends in March. Local government needs certainty and to be able to make long-term decisions to do the best by their communities.
We urge you to provide funding for the Household Support Fund beyond March.
Yours sincerely,
National & regional
Lynn Perry MBE, CEO Barnardo’sEmma Revie, CEO, Trussell TrustMark Russell, CEO, The Children’s SocietyClare Moriarty, CEO of Citizens AdvicePaul Kissack, Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Housing TrustGwen Hines, CEO, Save the Children UKAnna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive, National Children's BureauJulie Bentley, CEO, SamaritansClaire Donovan, Head of Policy, End Furniture PovertyHelen Starr-Keddle, Deputy Director, Food MattersMichele Deans, Interim Chair, North East Child Poverty CommissionKath Dalmeny, Chief Executive, SustainPaul Streets, Chief Executive, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & WalesSabine Goodwin, Director, Independent Food Aid NetworkAnna Taylor OBE, Executive Director, The Food FoundationKirsty McHugh, Chief Executive Officer, Carers TrustGraham Whitham, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Manchester Poverty ActionKatherine Hill, Strategic Programme Manager, 4in10 London’s Child Poverty NetworkSophie Howes, Head of Policy, Child Poverty Action GroupDaniel Kebede,General Secretary, National Education UnionAnela Anwar, Chief Executive, Z2KCraig Anderson OBE, Reuse NetworkDr Rosie McNee, Co-Founder & Director, FeedDaniel Singleton, National Executive Director, FaithActionTim Nicholls, Head of Influencing and Research, National Autistic SocietyRichard Lane, Chief Client Officer, StepChange Debt CharityHelen Walker, Chief Executive, Carers UKStephaine Slater, Chief Executive, School Food MattersRichard Kramer, Chief Executive, SensePaul Hook, Director, Asylum MattersStephen Kingdom, Campaign Manager, Disabled Children’s PartnershipJoseph Howes, Chair, End Child Poverty CoalitionSimon Francis, Coordinator, End Fuel Poverty CoalitionVictoria Benson, CEO, GingerbreadClaire Atchia McMaster, Director Income and External Affair, Turn2UsSarah Pugh, Chief Executive, Whizz KidzCheryl Ward, Group Chief Executive, Family FundJaine Stannard, CEO School-Home SupportGavin Smart, CEO, Chartered Institute of HousingAlan Markey, Chair, National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers Andrew Forsey, National Director, Feeding BritainJoseph Howes, CEO, Buttle UKSamantha Clark, Chief Executive, Learning Disability EnglandLeigh Middleton, CEO, The National Youth AgencyLaurence Guinness, Chief Executive, The Childhood TrustRuth Talbot, Founder, Single Parent RightsIan Preston, Director of Development & External Affairs, Centre for Sustainable EnergyDr Lindsey MacDonald, CEO, Magic Breakfast
Local
Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest CouncilCllr Bella Sankey, Leader of Brighton & Hove City CouncilCllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Leader of Islington CouncilCllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark CouncilCllr Barry Rawlings, Leader of Barnet CouncilRokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of NewhamCllr Claire Holland, Deputy Chair of London CouncilsCllr Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of the London Borough of HounslowCllr David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City CouncilStephen Halsey, Chief Executive, London Borough of Tower HamletsSharmina August, Councillor for Eccles (Lead Member for Inclusive Economy, Anti-Poverty & Equalities)Cllr Astrid Johnson, Green Group leader on Manchester City CouncilHannah Cooper, Research and Campaigns Manager, Citizens Advice NewcastleAli Ghanimi, Senior Manager, Brighton & Hove Food PartnershipLisa Hook, Brighton Community and Families ProjectBecs Kent, Elm Grove Parent Teacher AssociationMel Steel, Voices in ExileBryan Coyle, CEO, East Brighton Food CooperativeIan Thompson, Chief Executive, South Tyneside Citizens AdviceMark Almond, Chief Executive, North Tyneside Citizens AdviceGraham Easterlow, Chief Executive, East Durham TrustAbi Conway, CEO, Citizens Advice NorthumberlandKevin Franks, CEO, Youth Focus: North EastJuliet Sanders, CEO, Feeding FamiliesDenise Irving, Chief Officer, Citizens Advice SunderlandJo-Anne Carden, CEO, Citizens Advice Brighton & HoveDr Naomi Maynard, Director, Feeding LiverpoolTom Lambert, The Carers Centre Brighton & HoveLeigh Elliott, Chief Executive, Children North EastMichelle Cooper, CEO, County Durham Community FoundationJane Hartley, Interim Chief Executive, Voluntary Organisations’ Network North EastTracy Harrison, CEO, Northern Housing ConsortiumPeter Maloney, Chief Executive, Hospitality and HopeSteph Capewell, Chief Executive, Love AmeliaEmilie de Bruijn, Chair, Hartlepool Baby BankPauline Cory, Director, Transition Town WorthingMargaret Howard, Founder & Director of Broadwater Support GroupKhristina McCormack, Street Homeless Outreach Worthing Soup KitchenTracy Armstrong, Chief Officer, Citizens Advice NewcastleRachel Crighton, Campaigns Manager, Whitehawk Foodbank, East BrightonMaxine Thomas, Head of Adult & Older Peoples Services, Impact Initiatives SussexSiriwimon Areelertworakul, The Network of International Women for Brighton & HoveReyna Kothari, Old Boat Community Centre Manager, HolingburyEmma Walsh, Brighton Women’s CentreDale Lay, South Coast Skate Club C.I.CSharon Rose, Advice Centre Manager, Possability PeopleSophie Livingstone, CEO, Little VillageGary Malcomson, CEO, Citizens Advice Bury & BoltonAnna Route, Hull Food Partnership & Hull Food Inequality AllianceIan Smith & Tami Skelton, Directors, Food Plymouth CICTina Harrison MBE, Volunteer lead, Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe Greater ManchesterHelen Weston, CEO, Derbyshire Carers AssociationCatherine Arnold, Adur Community CafeSonia Mangan, CEO, Carers SupportClaire Turner, Chief Executive, Carers LeedsJenni Wood, Chief Executive, Durham County Carers SupportKate Jeffels, Chief Officer, Together Middlesbrough and ClevelandSimon Westgarth, CEO, Richmond Furniture SchemeBob Bevil, Advocacy and Campaigning Lead, Chipping Barnet FoodbankCharlotte Butler, Operations Director, Transformation CornwallHelen Carver, A2Dominion Housing GroupEllie Coteau, CEO, The Welcome CentreLaura Stratford, Greater Lincolnshire Food PartnershipHelen Howson, CEO, Citizens Advice Darlington, Redcar and ClevelandSarah McCarthy, Director, Phoenix Food Shop, BrightonJohn Randall, Interim CEO, Electric Storm Youth, West SussexPaula McCormack, Executive Lead, Wallsend Children's CommunitySam Gilchrist, Project Manager, West Northumberland Food BankDebra Blakey, Chief Executive, Carers NorthumberlandRobert Taylor, Camden Federation of Private TenantsVici Richardson, Chief Executive, Disability NorthHelen Burgess, Managing Director, Pocket PowerMike Wild, Chief Executive, Macc, ManchesterTonia Redvers, Director of Operations, The YOU TrustAlison Page, Chief Executive, Salford CVSDarren Knight, Chief Executive, George House TrustHelen Tomlinson, Chief Officer, Bury VCFABelay Kahsay, CEO, Manchester Refugee Support NetworkBrian Carr, Birmingham Voluntary Service Council