READING Borough Council is set to offer further support for families struggling with the cost of living crisis in Reading,
The council’s plans will see it distributing vouchers to residents to help cover the cost of energy bills and grants to help voluntary organisations with food and winter clothing.
With funding provided by remainders of the Department of Work and Pensions’ household support fund, it will help residents and organisations cover costs for necessary bills.
Vouchers worth £49 will be used in a targeted scheme to help families with school-aged children who are eligible for free school meals, vulnerable children, or care leavers.
As well as support for individual families, the support scheme will also see extra funding provided to local voluntary organisations.
Readifood, which includes the Norcot Pantry has been awarded £20,000, Whitley Community Development Association, and the Weller Centre were both awarded £7,500.
New Beginnings, First Days, and Sadaka were all among charities awarded £3,000 to help funding the provision of clothing for children and young people.
Reading Borough Council Leader, Jason Brock, said: “It continues to be an extremely worrying time for families and individuals across Reading, with winter around the corner and absolutely no sign of the cost of heating homes or food coming down anytime soon.
“It is almost inconceivable that in 2022 we are talking about the need to help provide warm winter clothing and food to desperate families and individuals.
“It seems to me a policy more suited for the 19th century than the 21st, but in some cases this is the harsh reality when wages are very far from keeping up with soaring rates of inflation.”
He continued: “The Council has made full use of an underspend in its Household Support Fund Scheme to once again distribute energy vouchers to those that need them the most in our town.
“We are working on the details for the next phase of the Household Support Fund, which will enable us to continue supporting families in Reading through the coming winter.”
He said that details of that scheme would be released as soon as possible.
“Funding will also be used to provide grants to local organisations in Reading for winter clothing and food supplies for people who are struggling and I would like to thank those organisations for stepping up once again in these difficult times.”
The schemes funding comes through the Household Support Fund, previously known as the Covid Local Support Grant and the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.
The council was allocated just over £1,130,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions.
More information about who the Household Support Fund helps and how can be found via: democracy.reading.gov.uk.
