Lewisham to receive £2.67m boost from Household Support Fund

This extension will allow the Council to continue providing financial support to households facing difficulties with rising bills and essential costs.

Councillor Amanda de Ryk, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Performance, said:

“We know that the cost-of-living crisis has deeply impacted Lewisham residents, with many families facing the impossible choice between eating and heating.

“We’re proud of the work we’ve done to help those most in need but know there is much more to do. This money will help us provide a safety net to support some of Lewisham’s most vulnerable residents this winter.”

Over the past three years, the HSF has been instrumental in helping thousands of Lewisham residents in need.

We have invested more than £6 million to extend the Free School Meal programme into school holidays, ensuring nutritious meals for more than 10,000 children.

The fund also enabled Citizens Advice Lewisham to launch an outreach programme, offering support with benefit claims, foodbank referrals, debt management, housing, utilities, and family issues. Over the last year, this programme has supported over 1,100 residents and resulted in almost £80,000 in income gains.

We’ve also been able to help over 1,000 households facing fuel poverty, allowing them to keep warm over winter.

We’ve been able to support residents most affected by the cost-of-living crisis with cash payments totalling over £2.5m over the last three years, and we’ve established Better Off Lewisham, a new benefits entitlement tool to make claims easier.

Further details on how the new funding will be allocated will be released in the coming weeks.