Household Support Fund

 

The Department of Work and Pensions has made additional funding available for low-income households in Kingston who meet the criteria and are struggling to afford food, fuel, utility bills and other essentials.  

This funding covers the period

• 1st October 2024 to 31st March 2025 inclusive. 

Applications will remain open during this time, subject to the availability of funds. 

If your household has received help through the previous rounds of the Household Support Fund, we may not be able to issue any further funding. However, we may be able to provide you with information about other support available, so please email: householdsupportfund@kingston.gov.uk

Local Authorities have discretion on exactly how this funding is used and in Kingston we will be aiming to provide support to the following households in need; those including children, pensioners and those with disabilities, who would otherwise struggle with energy bills, food and water bills. 

Energy bills may be of particular concern to low-income households during the period of the scheme and the Council will especially consider supporting households with the cost of energy. The fund can also be used to support households with essential costs related to those items and with wider essential costs. In exceptional cases of genuine emergency, it can additionally be used to support housing costs where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need.

Where eligible, support with food, utility bills and other pressures will be provided through a voucher.

To be eligible to access the support you will need to be a resident of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (or if homeless or with no recourse to public funds, have appropriate links to the borough) and one or more of the following eligibility criteria must apply:

• you have insufficient funds to access nutritional meals

• you have insufficient funds to be able to keep your home warm, electricity or gas on and access to water for cooking

• you have insufficient funds to be able to afford essentials such as food, toiletries (sanitary products, soap etc), clothing, blankets, boiler service/repair, and access to equipment including fridges and ovens.

• the household has an urgent housing need that can not be funded by an existing scheme e.g. housing benefits etc

• household has a vulnerability or community care need

Council Officers, voluntary sector partners and other referring professionals will be asked to assess needs against these criteria and confirm eligibility.  

Individuals may be receiving other forms of support, including Universal Credit. If families are receiving support through other food or utility schemes this should be taken into account, and you should avoid duplicating existing support.  However, families in receipt of other schemes are not excluded from receiving the grant. For example, a family may:  

• have additional wider needs in terms of food and utilities 

• require other essential supplies  

• include individual family members that are not in receipt of support 

Please note the assessment may take some time, depending on demand and an application does not guarantee an award of funding. The fund will be distributed on a first come first served basis and will run until the funding has all been allocated and spent. 

If you believe you may be eligible for the Household Support Fund, you can apply directly using the form below or a professional can do this on your behalf. 

Apply for Household Support Fund

If you have any questions, you can email householdsupportfund@kingston.gov.uk or ring the council on 020 8547 5000 and ask to speak to the Kingston Stronger Together Health Improvement Team about the Household Support Fund.