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Household Support Fund Schemes

Household Support Fund Schemes

The Household Support Fund (Funded by the UK Government) has been provided to local authorities to support those who do not have enough resources to meet immediate short term living costs such as food, energy and essential items. The scheme also focuses on preventative support providing sources of advice and assistance to make long term sustainable changes in circumstances. 

The council has developed a number of schemes to support residents with the aim of building long-term financial resilience and impactful changes that will benefit those accessing support. For this current round of Household Support Fund, we have made some changes to our offer with the aim of supporting residents to achieve this goal. More information on these changes can be found below.

What support is available to residents

Schemes for community groups, organisations and local providers

1:1 Social Prescribing Support

Through the Social Prescribing team residents can gain access to one to one support which can help them improve their situation and reduce the pressures of the cost of living. In addition to this support, the Social Prescribing team can help with funding for items such as white goods, basic furniture items. This support will replace the previous Energy and Essentials Payment Schemes as residents will be able to access free support for a wide range of issues including money worries and housing issues.

If you wish to access this support, or would like more information on what support Social Prescribing offer, please view more information on Social Prescribing. You can also email the team at social.prescribingSR@southribble.gov.uk with the subject line "Household Support Fund", or you can call the team Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 01772 625286.

Cook, Eat, Learn - basic cooking classes

We are supporting our local communities and residents through funding projects such as a basic cooking skills class in partnership with Social Prescribing and the Active Health teams. The classes take place over 4 weeks and include recipies and an introduction to knowledge around health and nutrition, supporting with achieving a healthy, balanced diet on a budget. For more information, or to access this support, please contact householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk.

School Uniform Support

South Ribble Borough Council will once again be holding the school uniform shop where families can access pre-loved uniform, as well as access support servoces tailored around helping families.

The big school uniform pop up shop

Sunday 3 August to Thursday 7 August, 10am to 3pm
Civic Centre, Leyland, PR25 1DH 

Free school uniform will be offered for all school across South Ribble and the event will also see the council’s social prescribing team on hand with several partners available to talk to families and to provide support.

Please bring your own bags, they will not be provided.

Donations

Please donate unwanted uniform at the Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, PR25 1DH.

Donations will only be accepted between 21 July to 25 July 2025. All donations must be in good condition and clean.

Sign up for year-long support

The 2025 school uniform pop-up shop will also be the launch the council’s year-round school uniform service. This means families will be able to access school uniform donations throughout the year when they need it most.

Residents will be able to email into householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk requesting support. Once contact details are provided, the council’s social prescribing team will run through the application form.

Affordable Warmth

The aim of this scheme is to support residents in owner occupied properties to fund home adaptations that create energy efficiency improvements, supporting longer term reduction to the cost of energy bills. To apply for Affordable Warmth email strategichousing@southribble.gov.uk or call 01772 625625

Improvements that this scheme funds includes:

  • replacement of broken boiler
  • replacement of inefficient boiler (EPC rating F or below)
  • replacement of broken timber single glazed windows/doors
  • cavity wall insulation
  • loft Insulation (Loft must be clear of any belongings)

Households will be eligible for funding if they meet at least one of the following vulnerabilities and have a low income, defined as follows:

Vulnerabilities:

  • people with a diagnosed cardiovascular condition(s)
  • people with a diagnosed respiratory condition(s) (in particular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and childhood asthma)
  • people with a diagnosed mental health condition(s)
  • people with a diagnosed disability
  • older people (65 and over)
  • households with young children up to the age of 5
  • pregnant women
  • people who are terminally ill
  • people with suppressed immune systems (for example, from cancer treatment or HIV)
  • People who have attended hospital due to a fall.

The following vulnerable groups will be considered on referral from a professional organisation:

  • people who move in and out of homelessness
  • people with addiction(s)
  • recent immigrants and refugees

Low Income

Low income can be confirmed in one of the following three ways:

  • someone being in receipt of means tested benefits
  • have a total household income no more than £31,000 and less than £16,000 in savings
  • a ‘declaration’ by the Local Authority or Health/Social Care professional that affordability issues are present.

South Ribble Winter Fuel Fund

From November 2025 to February 2026 there will be support available to support residents who are struggling with pressures from the colder weather such as energy costs.

If you wish to access this support please view more information on Social Prescribing or email the team social.prescribingSR@southribble.gov.uk with the subject line "Household Support Fund", or you can call the team Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 01772 625286.

Schemes for community groups, organisations and local providers

Food bank support

We will soon be approaching local food banks to support them the best we can in order to continue supporting local communities.

Local Resilience Fund Grants

The Local Resilience Fund will be provided to local organisations and partners who provide existing support or packages that assist residents with managing the cost of living.

The Council is particular looking for schemes that can provide practical support, including themes around staying warm in winter, access to food and nutrition, and creating sustainable change for households through education and training.

To apply for funding, the organisation’s proposed funding schemes must meet the following criteria:

  • support is provided to residents of South Ribble
  • the support is targeted at those experiencing financial hardship and do not have enough resources to meet immediate short-term needs.

Grants have no minimum or maximum bid amount; however we aim to support as many organisations as possible with the funds allocated. Any spending must be committed by 30th December 2024.

Regular Monitoring Return Forms will be required throughout the duration of the Household Support Fund or until the project is completed.

How to Apply

To place your bid for Local Resilience funding, please complete the Local Resilience application form. Applications open on Monday 7 July and will close Sunday 3 August.

Further information or support

If you would like any further information on any of the schemes or projects being run, please contact by email at householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk or call the Household Support Fund team on 01772 625625

If you need emergency support now with food provision, you can view more information on emergency food support

If you need additional help or have further questions please contact us on 01772 625625 or email householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk and use the description 'Household Support Fund' in your email.