Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, welcomed the news that Cumbria has been awarded £7,380,469 as part of the Conservative Government's Household Support Fund, designed to help families struggling with the cost of essentials amid inflationary pressures.
The money has been granted to Cumbria County Council, taking the total level of Conservative Government support for Cumbrian residents benefiting from the scheme to £18,451,173. This clearly demonstrated the Conservative Government’s unwavering commitment to support the most vulnerable in times of financial hardship, and will keep the scheme operational until March 2024.
The Household Support Fund is a discretionary fund provided to local authorities enabling them to provide support to vulnerable families struggling to cover essential costs who may not be eligible for other Government support schemes.
The Conservative Government is also delivering further support on top of the £1 billion of funding for the Household Support Fund including means-tested £900 Cost of Living Payments, a £150 payment for disabled people, and £300 for pensioner households. The Conservative Government’s Energy Price Guarantee is also protecting people from rising energy costs this year until the end of March 2024, bringing a typical household bill to around £3,000 per year in Great Britain.
Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, said:
“I know there are a number of families in Penrith and The Border struggling to make ends meet this year. That is why I am proud our Conservative Government has allocated a further £7.38 million to Cumbria County Council through the Household Support Fund, doubling down on our commitment to help the most vulnerable in society with rising costs.
"This fund is a lifeline for many local residents and so extending the programme for another year is absolutely the right and moral thing to do. This is compassionate Conservatism in action."
A strong supporter of public aid for those struggling amid unprecedented inflationary pressures, Dr Hudson has publicly lobbied the Government on a range of economic issues including retaining the triple lock on pensions, boosting energy support for those living and working off the gas grid, and to uprate benefits in line with inflation. The Chancellor publicly endorsed these policies in November as part of the Government's push to drive down inflation while supporting those most at risk.
Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression added:
“The Household Support Fund has already helped many people across England through these challenging times and I am pleased it will continue to do so for another full year.
“This is just one part of our extensive and targeted £26 billion support package, which includes payments of £900 for millions of people on benefits and additional support for disabled people and pensioners, whilst every household will continue to save money thanks to our Energy Price Guarantee.”
