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.

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.

Sign up for year-long 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 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 asylum seekers 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.

Food bank support

The below listed foodbanks are offering support to residents in food and energy vouchers:

Penwortham Food Bank
Christian Community Larder
SVP Leyland Foodbank
New Day Church

Local Resilience Fund

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 has funded 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.

The following organisations have been funded by the Council in order to support residents.

ICANN offers guidance with form completion and PIP appeals. For further information or to access their services, please contact them at 01772 746 061.
Regenerage administers our Winter Fuel Fund, distributing energy vouchers to help manage increased heating costs during the winter months. Eligibility and criteria do apply. To find out if you are eligible, please reach out to them on 01772 552 850.
Good Life Sorted offer specialist guidance and support on a one-to-one basis to help residents live independently. Good Life Sorted support elderly individuals and those with additional health conditions such as mental health and disability. This support could include assistance with shopping, medication, home visits, cooking and cleaning. To further information please contact 0333 051 0682. Please reference the South Ribble Pilot Scheme during your initial contact.

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.