Applications for support through the Household Support Fund (HSF) can now be made until 30 September.
The council has been awarded another £1,177,691.53 from the Department for Work and Pensions to help families, pensioners and individuals who may struggle to pay for basic living costs, such as food, energy and water bills and essentials linked to these, such as sanitary products, warm clothing, soap and blankets (but not white goods).
The majority of the council’s funding will go to families with children in receipt of Free School Meals, those in receipt of Early Years pupil premium and to care leavers. A third will go to pensioners and there will be some allocated for discretionary applications.
Currently, around 6,000 children are receiving free school meals, whose families will receive £15 per week per child for May half term and summer holidays from their schools.
Funding will be given as food vouchers, vouchers for essential goods and assistance with fuel payments.
Councillor Rob Anderson, lead member for financial oversight and council assets, said: “We are pleased to have received at least the same amount of money as we did in the previous scheme which ran until the end of March. Last time we made 38,000 individual payments which shows the scale of the cost of living crisis for Slough residents. The money will go to help those who really need it the most.”
The council will be making direct contact with those identified as being eligible for these payments.
For people most in need, who don’t fall into the categories listed, they can apply to the discretionary scheme, even if they applied for the previous HSF money.
Criteria for the discretionary scheme includes being over 16, having a settled residence in Slough, having a reduction in income and not having savings they could use.
It is one application per household.
There is an application form to complete for those who won’t automatically be eligible. Please submit all the information requested to speed up the application process.
The discretionary funding will be issued on a first come, first served basis to those who are eligible and submit all the information required.
Applications close on 30 September or when the funding is all allocated.
To see the full eligibility criteria, please visit the HSF webpage.