Support will continue for Hull’s most vulnerable residents this winter and into the early spring after senior councillors agreed the use of funds aimed at helping the most vulnerable.
Cabinet members have approved proposals to boost existing schemes receiving funding via the Household Support Fund (HSF).
It means the families of over 16-thousand pupils in the city who are eligible for free school meals will receive a £15 voucher per child covering the first week of the Easter holidays.
However, ahead of changes in funding from the Government, Hull City Council is calling for clarity on the arrangements for the second week of the holidays.
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Ross, recently wrote to the Secretary of State seeking a pledge that funding will remain available to allow for free school meal vouchers to be automatically issued to eligible families when the HSF is replaced by the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) from April 2026 onwards.
He said: “By using the Household Support Fund, we’re currently able to make sure that those who are eligible for the free school meal vouchers receive them automatically, including during this Christmas and the February half-term.
“The proposals we’ve agreed today (Monday 15 December) ensure that families will also receive vouchers for the start of the Easter holidays at the end of March.
“We are aware, however, that the Household Support Fund is being replaced right at the start of April by the Crisis and Resilience Fund, and it is understood that parents and carers may need to go through an application process for the free school meal vouchers.
“In our view it would be the wrong move for the government to move away from allowing councils to use the funding to support families in the same way during the holiday periods.
“We need to know sooner rather than later how the new CRF is going to work, and I’ve called on the Government to keep funding available to allow the current automatic distribution of vouchers to remain in place.
“A change could lead to a time-consuming and stressful process for families, as well as a needlessly costly admin process for the Council.”
Cabinet members also today agreed funding for more support for tenants as part of a wider strategy to prevent homelessness, with both Council and private tenants able to access help.
There will also be additional further support for pensioners via Age UK to provide an advice service which helps with applications for benefits such as Pension Credit.
The redistribution of funding via the HSF has been made possible by changes to the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment, where pensioners with an income of up to £35 thousand are now in line to receive that payment directly.
Hull City Council last year took action to ensure vulnerable pensioners affected by changes to the Winter Fuel Payment at that time didn’t miss out by automatically allocating £200 to eligible residents via their Council Tax accounts.
Following a review, it can be confirmed that all of those pensioners who received that £200 payment from Hull City Council last year are in line to receive the Winter Fuel Payment directly this year.
The Household Support Fund has been used in Hull to help the most vulnerable, including through providing Warm Spaces, free school meals during holiday periods, and assisting food banks.
To find out more about cost of living help in Hull, visit Cost of Living | Hull.