Household Support Fund
The Household Support Fund is funding provided by government to local authorities to directly help those who need it the most. The fund has recently been further extended to March 2026 (Tranche 7).
The first six tranches of the Household Support Fund (HSF1, HSF2, HSF3, HSF4, HSF5 and HSF6) have been spent to 31 March 2025. The table below covers the period 1 October 2024 to 31 March 2025 (HSF6).
| Household Support Fund Tranche 6 (HSF6) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Food vouchers for those in receipt of free schoolmeals to cover the school holidays (six weeks of school holidays) | £1,204,000 |
| Crisis grants and support to children in need | £100,00 |
| Winter Support Payment | £300,000 |
| Wandsworth Discretionary Social Fund Top Up | £400,000 |
| Contingency | £65,000 |
| Total | £2,069,000 |
Between October 2024 and March 2025 over 58,000 Supermarket vouchers were provided to nearly 10,000 children in receipt of free school meals over the 6 weeks school holidays from October 2024 (this covers Easter 2025). Additional support to children in need and children looked after has included the provision of crisis grants, clothing and baby boxes.
Over 3,600 awards have been made from the Wandsworth Discretionary Social Fund using the Household Support Fund.
To provide additional support over the winter months, we provided a one-off payment to low-income pensioner households who were not in receipt of Pension Credit and therefore not entitled to the government’s Winter Fuel Payment, but were in receipt of means tested Council Tax Reduction (CTR).
Although they hadn’t been assessed as meeting the criteria for Pension Credit, eligibility for CTR means they were low-income households and were therefore considered to be impacted most by the change.
To ensure these households continue to be supported, our Winter Support scheme mirrored the payments provided by government (£200 to eligible pensioners up to the age of 79 and £300 for those aged 80 and over) in a one-off payment. 1,006 pensioner households received a payment of £200 and 193 pensioner households received £300.
Household Support Fund Tranche 7 (HSF7)
In the October 2024 budget statement, the government announced that the Household Support Fund (HSF) would be extended for 2025/26. Allocations were announced in March 2025 and as expected, funding for HSF7 has been reduced. For Wandsworth this is £3,647,406 covering April 2025 to March 2026.
At the Finance Committee in January 2025, indicative spending proposals were approved subject to the announcement of the final allocations. It was agreed that HSF would continue to fund the core initiatives and that these would be reviewed once allocations and guidance on HSF7 were issued. Currently, formal agreement includes the funding of the following:
Support for children in need and children looked after
There will be a continuation of food vouchers in the holidays for those children on free school meals.
If you are eligible for free school meals but not currently claiming, or are unsure about your eligibility, you should apply for free school meals.
Children who have or will be applying for reception and secondary schools in Wandsworth and are eligible for Free school meals will also be eligible for our School Uniform Support Scheme. The scheme for 2025 has not yet opened.
Wandsworth Discretionary Social Fund (WDSF)
As in the previous tranches, funding has been allocated to support low-income households through advice and the award of vouchers and household purchases through a top up of the WDSF. This includes additional crisis payments which would allow families to obtain emergency cash payments.
Request support through the WDSF.
Further support and advice
If you require any further support or advice on the cost of living, visit our Cost of Living Hub.
The government's cost of living support web pages also provide guidance.