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UK households are poised to receive a Cost of Living payment following the announcement of plans to distribute over £1.75 million from the Labour Party government and Department for Work and

Pensions (DWP) funding, aimed at assisting Hartlepool's most financially vulnerable households. Hartlepool Borough Council has been granted a sum of £1,750,170 in the latest round of

the Household Support Fund (HSF), with the funds to be utilised by April 2026. The primary goal is to offer crisis support for essential costs to the households most in need. The

Council's key HSF initiatives for 2025/26 include providing 100 food vouchers to all children eligible for free school meals aged 2-19 (£742,700), and £100 payments or food vouchers to

pensioners receiving Local Council Tax Support (£440,800). Additionally, an HSF application fund will be established, targeting individuals who can prove they are struggling but unable to

access other forms of support (£226,000). Grant support will also be made available to enable Hartlepool Food Bank to distribute food parcels/bags to advice agencies within the borough

(£40,000). Grants will be provided to both the Hartlepool Citizens Advice Bureau and Advice at Hart to assist them in supporting people with their energy bills (£90,000 each). The local

authority also plans to establish an HSF application fund to aid residents grappling with exceptional housing costs (£20,661), reports Birmingham Live. The council is set to bolster West

View Advice and Resource Centre with a £10,000 grant to provide household essentials that ease the cost of living burden. Councillor Brenda Harrison, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council,

commented: "We know that a lot of households across the borough are struggling financially, and we hope that these measures will help to bring them some much-needed relief and ease the

pressure they are currently under. "Support will be administered based on need. However, it will not only be targeted at people in receipt of benefits but also others who are working

but on low incomes. This demonstrates the Council's on-going commitment and determination to tackle financial hardship and to improve the lives of Hartlepool residents."