The Island’s more vulnerable residents will not be left out in the cold this winter, thanks to a range of measures to help people with the costs of food, utilities and other essentials.
Using its latest round of Household Support Funding from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Isle of Wight Council will be investing more than £1.1 million in a wide variety of schemes and initiatives targeting households facing hardship, between now and March 2023.
Expanding on previous funding rounds
The initiatives will expand on what was offered in the previous funding rounds to include support for foster carers registered with the council, unpaid carers, care leavers, and people with disabilities.
It will also widen the support available to reach out to those who may not be eligible for other assistance but are nevertheless in need.
Andre: Pleased to approve these latest funding allocations
Cllr Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, said,
“With the rising cost of living now widely felt by everybody, we understand that there are residents who are struggling but don’t qualify for other packages of support and are at risk of slipping through the net.
“I am pleased to approve these latest funding allocations, which recognise and respond to the needs of Island residents in this position while ensuring continued focused support for the most vulnerable, who are undoubtedly the hardest hit.”
The various schemes
The schemes will be delivered across the Island via the council’s ‘connect4communities programme’ and will include:
- Food vouchers — these will be made available to eligible Island residents including foster carers, care leavers, gateway card holders, and some people who receive council tax support or housing benefit, among others. Vouchers will be sent out to eligible residents automatically, with no need to apply.
- Discretionary grants to schools — these may be used to help families with costs relating to food and weather appropriate clothing. Parents can apply directly to their child’s school for the voucher.
- Funding to support the Living Well and Early Help Service mobile hub, providing hot meals and a warm space for residents in need.
- Funding to Citizens Advice to provide help with fuel and utility bills. The charity will also use the money to provide a single point of contact for Island residents in need, via its Help Through Crisis Helpline. It is anticipated that more than 200 households will benefit from this funding.
- Grants for community and voluntary organisations, as well as town, parish and community councils, to help meet needs within their local communities. Further details about how organisations can apply for grants will be released shortly.
- Funding to establish up to three new community pantries on the Island.
Household Support Funding
This latest instalment of Household Support Funding follows the previous funding round, which ran from April to September this year.
During this period, 33 charities and community associations used their community grant funding to support more than 14,000 households; one-off food vouchers were provided to more than 4,000 eligible households; and just under 300 households received help with their food and utility bills via Citizens Advice.
Ongoing support to community pantries
The funding also provided ongoing support to Island’s network of community pantries, which now have more than 600 members collectively.
Pantries provide significant benefits for families as they are open to everyone and, in exchange for a membership fee, pantry members can purchase groceries at a much lower cost than supermarkets.
Pantries can apply to receive support via the newest round of Household Support Funding, to help them respond to increased food costs and provide wider support services for vulnerable pantry members.
Stephens: People will feel the impact of rising costs more acutely
Cllr Ian Stephens, Cabinet member for poverty, added,
“As we head into winter and of course the festive period, we know that people will feel the impact of rising costs more acutely.
“This ongoing support will be vital for vulnerable families during these most challenging of times.
“I would urge anyone who is unsure if they can access support, to email [email protected] or visit the connect4communities website.”
The recommended funding allocations for the period covering October 2022 to March 2023 were approved by Cllr Andre under delegated powers yesterday (Thursday 1st December).
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
Image: TaxRebate.org.uk under CC BY 2.0
