The cost of living crisis is affecting many households in the borough where families are making tough choices between heating or eating
Hard-hit residents impacted by the cost of living crisis are set to be helped by a package of support worth nearly £6 million.
The Government has allocated £5.9million to Tower Hamlets Council to extend the DWPs’ Household Support Fund until March 2024.
The Household Support Fund is there to help households most in need with the rising cost of living, including families, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people.
16-22 October is Household Support Fund Awareness Week and to mark the week, the council is launching several new schemes to help residents.
The council has earmarked £160,000 for the Community Cupboard scheme to launch this November.
The Community Cupboard will be stocked with a selection of essentials, personal hygiene items, nappies, baby wipes and milk. Staff at our Children and Family Centres will be able to provide assistance to those individuals and families in need of support.
Funds have also been ringfenced for those households with benefits related eligibility for Free School Meals, vulnerable adults, low-income pensioners, as well as other residents in need. More information on distribution of funds and the relevant programmes will be published in due course on our Cost of Living Help webpage.
£750,000 has been allocated for residents to access by application through the Residents’ Support Scheme. The Residents Support Scheme is designed to help Tower Hamlets' residents who are either in or at risk of being in crisis or need immediate help and have no source of financial support available to them.
Meanwhile the LBTH Food Hub has been allocated £415,000 to continue delivering services that will see 1,800 tonnes of groceries provided to community food banks and other food aid organisations in the borough this financial year – equivalent to 4.3million meals.
As a pioneering food redistribution model, the Food Hub links more than 60 organisations in Tower Hamlets with high quality surplus food and is powered by a team of local volunteers.
Lutfur Rahman, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said:
"The cost-of-living crisis might be less in the news at the moment, but it is hitting households just as hard as ever.
“Many families in Tower Hamlets are having to choose between heating and eating on a daily basis. The schemes we are delivering using the Household Support Fund will help make a difference to those families, and we are continuously looking for new ways to invest in and support our residents.
“I urge anyone who is struggling to get in touch with us as soon as possible so we can provide you with a helping hand.”
Cllr Saied Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Resources and Cost of Living, added:
“The cost of living crisis is affecting us all with the cost of food and basic necessities continuing to rise. It is no surprise that shoplifting is also increasing across the country as people struggle to afford essential everyday items.
“This is why schemes like the Community Cupboard and Residents' Support Scheme are invaluable.
"Please take a look at our Cost of Living Help webpage for information on managing debt, where you can get help with household bills, school uniforms and much more.”
You can also use the online benefits checker to see if you are entitled to any extra support.
Posted on Monday 16th October 2023