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- Written by Colletta Smith and Elaine Doran
- Cost of Living Correspondent and Producer
Mr. Osaretin and Mr. Israel Osemota received support through government funds.
Barnardo Charity told the BBC the closure of its fund for people struggling to make ends meet would be “devastating”.
More than 160 councils have warned that without the Household Support Fund, thousands of vulnerable families face a support cliff.
But the government says other benefits are also being increased to cover living costs.
The Asemotas are just one of hundreds of thousands of families who have received assistance from the fund.
Its closure “will be a really sad moment,” Israel Asemota said. “It will be another shock for our family.”
Over the past two-and-a-half years, £2.5 billion has been donated through the Household Support Fund.
Safety Net funds food banks and warming spaces and provides cash directly to those in need.
When the Acemotases’ triplets were born, Israel cut back on work hours to care for the children with his wife, Oselatin, who was on maternity leave.
“While we are relieved to have support, we know that the coming months and years will continue to be difficult,” he says. Looking at his three two-month-old babies, he added: “You’re taking that away from them.”
Mr Osaretin said the couple was “very grateful” to have received support through the fund.
The grant received from Oldham Council was provided through HomeStart Host and was used to pay for baby formula, nappies and utilities to keep three newborns warm enough.
Her husband, Israel, said: “We’ve never needed help before. We both worked and we just relied on each other.”
When asked how he felt when he received the money, Osaretin said: “It was one of the best days. People brought us food and gave us coupons. It’s not easy depending on our income, so we were very happy.”
“I’m not working anymore and he’s cut his hours to 20 hours a week, so there’s really no money coming in anymore.”
The fund funnels government money to UK councils for projects targeting people most in need.
Lauren Forrester, Home Start host, said: “For many families we’ve supported, that means feeding their children and heating their homes, and it’s a real challenge to raise young children. Just the really important but basic necessities that you need.”
Ruth Welford says abolishing the scheme would be ‘devastating’ for struggling families
Ruth Welford, assistant director at Barnardos, said situations like this have been repeated across the country.
“We know that this scheme is helping local authorities support many families who don’t have a way to feed and clothe their children, and that the cost of living crisis for those families is far from over. we know.”
Ruth said: “It’s important that this situation continues. If we don’t, thousands of children will fall further into poverty. It will be devastating.”
Last month, more than 120 organizations wrote to Prime Minister Jeremy Hunt asking him to extend it for at least another year.
A cross-party group representing Britain’s 160 parliaments has called for the fund to be extended, saying it is a “vital lifeline”.
Councilor Shaun Davis, chairman of the Local Government Association, said the closure of the fund risked pushing more households into financial crisis, poverty and homelessness. “This will put further pressure on already strained public services such as the NHS, social care and temporary accommodation,” he says.
Unless a turnaround is announced in the Budget this week, the fund is scheduled to expire within four weeks.
Naomi Maynard says household support funds are filling the gap in Liverpool as donations to food banks fall
Every week in Liverpool, thousands of households receive help from food banks and pantries, which are funded through the Household Support Fund.
“This has helped move households further away from the cliff edge in the city,” says Naomi Maynard, director of Feeding Liverpool.
Her organization supplies food to 84 different food banks in the region, but faces the double whammy of declining donations and rising prices for the food they have to buy themselves.
“The Household Support Fund is filling that gap,” says Naomi. She said demand for support remained high and “we would be cutting ourselves in the foot if we cut off this funding at this critical point, when households are still facing hardship and trying to recover.” Stated.
But the government says benefits and local housing allowance are being increased to cover living costs as the Household Support Fund ends.
A government spokesperson said: “The current funding is available until March 2024 as part of a wider package of cost-of-living support worth an average of £3,700 per household, including a 6.7% rise in benefits from April and an increase in local housing benefit. It is possible.”
Israel, a father of triplets, is concerned that others will no longer receive the help his family has received.
“I feel for people who are going to be in the same position as me,” he says. “This is one thing he’s really helpful about.”
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