Next Layer of Financial Support for Reading Households

Residents struggling to pay for everyday essentials are being given a further opportunity to apply for financial support from the Council as part of its Household Support Fund (HSF) scheme.

From today (26 January) the Council has opened a third window for HSF applications, with eligible residents now able to claim a £200 cost of living payment.

Residents can apply for this additional layer of support even if they have previously received HSF funding this year, either in the form of a successful application or a cost of living voucher.

Full details of eligibility and how to apply can be found on the Council HSF page at www.reading.gov.uk/HSF

For the purposes of Reading’s HSF scheme, households which receive income-based benefits are automatically viewed as having a low income and are therefore eligible to apply.

Residents who do not receive income-based or state benefits, but who nevertheless are facing cost of living challenges, will be eligible for a basic assessment of household income, essential outgoings and savings as part of their application. The Council will then determine if support can be provided.

Completing an application does not offer immediate financial support to residents. Each application will be considered and processed. Residents who have more than £2,000 in savings are not eligible to apply.

Reading Borough Council has this year received a grant of just under £2 million from the Government’s Department of Work and Pensions for its local HSF scheme. The Council will regularly review this in-year budget against local need and demand to ensure it reaches residents who need the most support and, as a result, the Council is now making extra HSF funding available as part of this year’s local programme.

As part of the third round of cost of living payments, a £200 payment will be available to residents with successful applications. This is an increase of £50 from the second round of applications, where a £150 payment was available, and a £100 increase from the first round of applications when a £100 payment was available.

Councillor Liz Terry, Reading Borough Council Leader, said:

“The Council has now opened a third window for applications for financial support, and it has increased the payments to £200 for successful applications.

“We know January and February are months where costs can catch up with households.  We want to ensure the Government’s Household Support Fund reaches those residents and communities who require our support this winter and I’d urge residents to visit www.reading.gov.uk/HSF to check if they may be eligible and to submit an application, which could make all the difference at this difficult time of year.

“As part of this year’s HSF scheme the Council has already successfully administered over 3,000 applications, and we want to see that figure rise in the weeks to come.”

For more cost of living advice or support, please visit the Council’s Money Matters advice pages.