The extension of the Household Support Fund to 30 September 2024 began on 1 April 2024, with £421 million provided to local authorities in England1. The funding was announced in the Spring Budget as part of an additional £500 million to enable the extension of the fund, including funding for the devolved governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion1.
The Household Support Fund was distributed by councils in England to directly help those who needed it most, through small payments to support vulnerable households meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and utilities1. The scheme applies to England1. The government's published guidance states that households in need of support should contact their local council to find out more information and apply for the fund1.
The fund has been extended repeatedly since it was first announced. On 30 September 2021, the government announced a new £500 million support fund covering 6 October 2021 to 31 March 20221. It was extended to 30 September 2022 with an additional £500 million, then to 31 March 2023 with a further £500 million1. On 17 November 2022, as part of the Autumn Statement, an additional £1 billion was announced, with £842 million provided in England to extend the fund from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 20241.
The guidance sets out the funding rounds as follows:
| Period | Funding for local authorities in England |
|---|---|
| 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 | £500 million support fund announced |
| 1 April 2022 to 30 September 2022 | Additional £500 million |
| 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 | Additional £500 million |
| 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | £842 million in England |
| 1 April 2024 to 30 September 2024 | £421 million |
The guidance states that the total amount of funding announced since October 2021 reached £3 billion including Barnett impact as of the 2022 extension, with over £2.5 billion allocated to local authorities in England1. For the 2022 extension, the devolved governments received up to £79 million of the £500 million: £41 million for the Scottish Government, £25 million for the Welsh Government and £14 million for the Northern Ireland Executive1. It was for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate this additional funding1.
"This means that Local Authorities in England will receive an additional £421 million to support those in need locally through the Household Support Fund."
Why it matters for households
The fund is one of the routes through which households on low incomes can receive small payments towards essentials including utilities, alongside food and clothing1. Because it is administered by councils rather than paid automatically, the practical route to it runs through a local authority, and the guidance directs households to their council to find out more and apply1. For a household weighing up energy costs against other daily needs, the fund is a source of short-term help with bills rather than a change to how a home is supplied or heated. Details of eligibility and how each council runs its share of the funding are not set out in the national guidance, which leaves the design of local schemes to individual authorities1.
What happens next
The funding runs until 30 September 20241. The guidance records a further extension, announced on 2 September, of an additional £500 million, with £421 million for local authorities in England, available from 1 October 2024 to 31 March 20251. It also records that on 30 October 2024 the Chancellor announced funding to extend the fund from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, with £742 million for local authorities in England1.