Household Support Fund scam alert - November 2024
We have been made aware of scam texts and phone calls asking residents to apply for the Household Support Fund loan. If you receive a phone call or text about this, please treat the call as suspicious. Surrey County Council are not contacting residents about the Household Support Fund by phone call, email, text or social media messages. For further scams advice please see our Trading Standards website.
Funding has been allocated via the Department of Work and Pensions to help those families who are struggling financially in Surrey.
Financial assistance will be available for food, fuel, water and other essentials, and will be distributed via organisations within the county who become aware of those families that are in financial crisis.
Latest round of Household Support Fund available until April 2025
The latest and sixth round of Household Support Funding was announced and runs from October 2024 until April 2025. The amount allocated to Surrey was £5.2m. The funding is allocated via the Department of Work and Pensions to fund schemes and organisations that help those families who are struggling financially in Surrey. This latest round of funding will be allocated to the following organisations and schemes to enable them to provide services and support in the best way.
- £2,250,000 continued provision of free school meals vouchers to eligible children over the school holidays.
- £750,000 allocation to residents via District and Borough councils
- Over £300,000 continued support for food banks, community fridges and food clubs. Visit the Connect To Support Surrey website and search 'Food banks' for information on food banks in your area.
- £438,902 to the Surrey Crisis Fund. See our webpage about the Surrey Crisis Fund.
- £190,000 funded advice services via Citizens Advice, to help ensure residents have access to advice around maximising their income effectively. Their website can be found here Citizen's Advice.
- £409,195 towards other poverty prevention projects, measures and contingency. This will focus on activities that will help prevent residents from falling into hardship, and maximising awareness and take-up of welfare benefits.
- £380,000 allocation to residents via Voluntary Community Social Enterprise organisations in Surrey.
- £110,000 to the Surrey Community Helpline. Contact the community helpline - Surrey County Council which is there to help residents find the right financial and welfare help support and advice.
Check that you are maximising your finances
As there is uncertainty around whether the UK Government Funded Household Support Fund will continue past September 2024, we want to ensure that everyone who maybe struggling financially is getting the benefits, tax credits and financial support they are entitled to, such as debt relief.
To talk to someone who can help you check that you are getting all the financial support you are entitled to please call the Community Helpline on 0300 200 1008 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday except bank holidays
Find further information and guidance from the Department of Work and Pensions on getting extra payments to help with the cost of living, if you're entitled to certain benefits or tax credits.
Previous Household Support Fund Allocations
The Household Support Fund has been funded by UK Government since 2021 to help with the rising costs of living. There have been four allocations made to Surrey County Council up until March 2024 totalling £26,454,148.61. The fifth round of funding announced on 1 April 2024 will be available until September 2024.
Funds from the Household Support Fund have been distributed to organisations across Surrey to help those families who are struggling financially, providing financial assistance for food, fuel, water and other essentials. The funds are distributed via a range of methods including via community partners and District and Borough councils to ensure it reaches as many people in need as possible.
To find out how the last round of £10.6m available between April 2023 and March 2024 was allocated you can read this Surrey News press release Surrey allocated £10.6m funding from the Household Support Fund.
Be Scam Aware
Criminals will try a variety of methods to gain your personal or banking information so please be aware of who you share your details with. Do not click links or reply to unsolicited texts or emails, instead you can contact the organisation directly who provides you with your Household Support Fund. For further scams advice please see the Surrey County Council Trading Standards website.
Trading Standards have a fortnightly newsletter where you can keep up to date with the latest scams, product recalls and alerts about rogue traders. Trading Standards newsletter.
