Sir Alok Sharma, the Member of Parliament for Reading West, has welcomed the news that the Government have announced the new Household Support Fund Allocations for Local Authorities across England.

Reading Borough Council and West Berkshire, which both serve Sir Alok’s constituency, will receive £2.26 million and £1.39 million respectively, in this latest round of funding to help families that need support with the cost of essentials in the face of rising costs.

This funding takes the total level of Household Support Fund allocations provided to Reading and West Berkshire to £5.65 million and £3.47 million respectively, demonstrating the Government’s unwavering commitment to support the most vulnerable in times of financial hardship.

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 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 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.

Commenting, Sir Alok said:

“I know families are struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising prices caused by global economic pressures including Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“That is why I am delighted that the Government have allocated a further £2.6 million to Reading Borough and £1.39 million to West Berkshire through the Household Support Fund, doubling down on the commitment to help the most vulnerable families with rising costs. This additional funding will ensure this vital support is available for families who are struggling.”

Commenting, Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression said:

“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.”