4,000 Yorkshire families to get £250 cost of living handouts

Rotherham Council is set to utilise a £2.5m government grant to assist vulnerable residents grappling with the escalating cost of living.

More than £1m of this funding, sourced from the government's household support fund, will be allocated towards providing food vouchers for children who qualify for free school meals during school holidays until Easter 2025. This initiative is expected to benefit more than 13,700 children in the borough.

An additional £1.1 million will be directed towards aiding households struggling with energy costs, offering grants of up to £250 per household. This comes on the heels of a similar successful scheme earlier this year and is projected to assist up to 4,622 families.

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The funds will also be used to help approximately 15,000 local households with their council tax via a £150,000 boost to the council tax support scheme.

Other allocations include £45,000 to aid care leavers, and £60,000 for voluntary and community groups to support vulnerable families over the festive season. An extra £50,000 will be utilised to provide essential household items, such as cleaning and hygiene products, through services like food banks and social supermarkets.

The council has also earmarked funds to accommodate any fluctuations in demand, with any unspent funds being redirected towards energy crisis support.

Rotherham's Cabinet is anticipated to approve the funding and ensure it is fully expended by March 2025.

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