Fund for councils to help vulnerable extended after support cliff edge warning

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A fund to help struggling households with bills and essentials has been extended to cover the winter period after councils warned that the most vulnerable were facing a support “cliff edge”. The Household Support Fund, which was due to expire at the end of September, will run for another six months in what the Government described as a multimillion-pound “boost” for local authorities. But extending the Household Support Fund is the right thing to do - provide targeted support for those who need it most as we head into the winter months Chancellor Rachel Reeves DWP has said pensioners and others struggling to heat their homes or afford other essential items should contact their local council to see what support may be available to them, with details on the latest funding via the Household Support Fund to be set out in the coming weeks. “But extending the Household Support Fund is the right thing to do – provide targeted support for those who need it most as we head into the winter months.” The dire inheritance we face means more people are living in poverty now than 14 years ago – and this Government is taking immediate action to prevent a cliff edge of support for the most vulnerable in our society Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, said: “We are extending the Household Support Fund for the next six months because it is a lifeline for people who are struggling with the cost of living.