Household Support Fund

The government's Household Support Fund was introduced in September 2021. Five rounds of funding have been distributed by councils in England to directly support vulnerable households with meeting daily needs, such as food, clothing and utilities. 

The Government has recently announced an extension of the Household Support Fund (sixth round), which will run to the end of March 2025. 

For information about support and advice available to help with the cost of living you can visit:

• the Government’s cost of living page https://www.gov.uk/cost-of-living
• our cost of living page for more information about the local support and advice available 

Household Support Fund - sixth round

We have been allocated £103,000 from Surrey County Council to be spent by 31 March 2025. We will be distributing this grant in a range of different ways to reach our most vulnerable households.

Supermarket and fuel vouchers

Supermarket and fuel vouchers to pay for food or utilities will be offered through our referral partners to residents who are struggling financially due to a low income, loss of employment or delays in benefits. The vouchers are intended to address immediate crisis, while other longer term preventative measures are supported.

Vouchers are allocated at the discretion of issuing partners. Those receiving a voucher must live within Reigate & Banstead and provide a valid address at which they are registered. Vouchers will be available until March 2025 or until funds run out, whichever is earliest.

If you are suffering from financial hardship, you should contact one of the following partners:

• Raven Housing residents should contact Raven on 0300 123 3399 or email raven@ravenht.org.uk
• Anyone already in contact with the council’s Money Support Team, please talk to your normal contact
• If you are not known to any of the above organisations, contact Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead on 0808 278 7945 and select option 4 to speak to an advisor. Or go to their website www.carbs.org.uk to fill in an enquiry form online.

Other support

Citizens advice Reigate and Banstead will be providing face to face drop in advice sessions in some harder to reach areas. For further details visit their website Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead or call them on 0808 278 7945. 

Some local voluntary or community organisations and Food Clubs have either been grant funded to provide essentials, food or fuel support to continue their support to residents in need.

Our housing team will be supporting households they are already working with to cover housing costs where no other funds/support are available.

Contact communitypartnerships@reigate-banstead.gov.uk with any questions about grants.

Household Support Fund - fifth round

This round closed on 30 September 2024.

We were allocated £207,000 from Surrey County Council which was distributed in a range of different ways to reach our most vulnerable households.

Household Support Fund – fourth round

This round closed on 31 March 2024.

We were allocated £512k from Surrey County Council which was distributed in a range of different ways to reach our most vulnerable households.

Household Support Fund – previous rounds

During the third round, which ended on 31 March 2023, we supported 2,745 financially vulnerable households with:

• supermarket vouchers distributed through Raven Housing Trust and Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead
• top-up payments provided through a number of local organisations
• grants to several local charities to help them to provide extra support locally

During the second round, which  ended on 30 September 2022, we supported 2,451 financially vulnerable households with:

• one-off £110 payments to households with someone over 65 years old currently claiming Council Tax Reduction
• funding to food clubs and other local voluntary sector partners to provide support locally

During the first round ending 31 March 2022, we supported 4,294 financially vulnerable households with:

• supermarket vouchers to households with children receiving Council Tax Reduction and to households referred to the scheme by other Council departments or our partners (Raven Housing and Citizen Advice Reigate & Banstead)
• grants to local voluntary and community organisations and food clubs to deliver targeted help, such as hot meals and essential items to people struggling financially
• Support to cover housing costs through our housing team where no other funding or support was available