Get support in Torridge during Household Support Fund awareness week October 16-22 - Ken James

As we approach the autumn and winter months, I am acutely aware that although fuel, food and other prices may have peaked for now, they are still much much higher than they were previously.
This has put an enormous strain on finances for many households, causing some to struggle with paying for even basic necessities.
This week the Government, through the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), announced that there would be an awareness campaign running through to October 22 and I wanted to use my column here to remind people of the help that is still available.
Earlier in the year Devon County Council secured £10 million from the fourth round of the Governments Household Support Fund, which it was announced would run until March 2024.
While the county run their own support programmes a proportion of the money was distributed down to all local authorities across Devon to support local households and residents in most need.
The money does come with a few conditions in that in the main it can only be used for those struggling to pay for food, energy, water bills and other related essentials.
So far in Torridge we have distributed nearly £174,000 to around 235 households under round four of the scheme, which I know has made a real difference to people’s lives.
I wanted to reassure anybody that suddenly finds themselves in financial difficulty this winter that the fund is available to them and that we will continue to provide short term financial support to help vulnerable residents in the coming months.
While the focus of the fund is on food, energy and water there is some provision in exceptional circumstances to help with the cost of other items. This might include such things as broadband or phone bills, clothing, transport costs, and the list goes on, so it’s worth making contact to find out whether the fund can help.
As a general rule it is intended to be used where households may not be eligible for other government support.
In Torridge, the fund is managed through our partners at Encompass Southwest, a local charity operating across the whole of northern Devon. It would be remiss of me if I didn’t thank them and our officers for the work they’ve already undertaken in distributing the funding up until now.
I know that they do their best to help as many people as possible and have streamlined the process to make sure the money can be distributed quickly and efficiently.
The application form can be found via a link on our website under our cost of living web pages at https://www.torridge.gov.uk/costoflivinghelp and under the Household Support Fund 4 tab.
I would also encourage anyone looking for help or ideas on how to reduce costs and outgoings further to have a good look around the other pages in this section.
There’s advice and links for things like foodbanks, managing debt, benefits and job advice, other grants and support and support for people’s health and well-being as money worries can often take a toll on the person as well.
It’s probably worth mentioning that some of the money being distributed by Devon County Council is also available to the organisations supporting homeless people or people in temporary or insecure housing.
It is also earmarked for groups supporting households with disabled residents and those suffering ill-health which can in itself affect income and lead to money worries. Grants in these areas can range up to £25,000 or up to £2,000 for smaller community initiatives.
More information on these grants can be found on the Devon County website at Cost of living | Help and advice for people in Devon | Devon County Council
I hope that circumstances for households will continue to improve but please reach out to these offers of support if you need help in the meantime over the winter months.