This new support fund, at least half of which will help families with children, will bolster
existing measures we have introduced for low-income households, such as increasing
the national living wage, the rise in the Local Housing Allowance, expanding the £221
million Holiday Activities and Food which will be offering nutritious meals and enriching
activities to disadvantaged children this Christmas, doubling free childcare for eligible
working parents and increasing the value of Healthy Start vouchers by over a third.
The Fund also sits alongside the Warm Home Discount which provides a £140 rebate
on energy bills each winter to over 2.2 million low-income households and the Cold
Weather Payment which provides £25 extra a week for poorer households when the
temperature is consistently below zero.
Please direct constituents in need of support to their local council who will be able to
help them access the Fund. The Barnett formula will apply in the usual way, with the
devolved administrations receiving £79 million on top of the £421 million for England.
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