Household Support Fund Extended to Help Wiltshire's Most Vulnerable Until March 2026

The Household Support Fund is designed to provide crisis support to households struggling with essential living costs, such as food and utility bills. It also offers preventative support, including budgeting and cookery classes, and the purchase of energy-efficient appliances like fridges and cookers.
HSF7 will support a wide range of residents, including:

• families with children of all ages
• pensioners
• unpaid carers
• care leavers
• disabled people
• larger families
• single-person households
• those facing unexpected financial shocks
• Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Boater (GRTB) communities
• people experiencing homelessness.

Wiltshire Council administers the fund and collaborates with a range of third-sector partners to deliver targeted support. This includes organisations such as the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Wiltshire Community Foundation, Community First, Wiltshire Citizens Advice, Wiltshire Money, White Horse Housing Association, Selwood Housing, SNG and Kennet Furniture Refurbiz.

Support is often provided proactively to residents already engaged with council services, such as care leavers, those in supported housing, and individuals working with safeguarding or tenancy sustainment teams.

Schemes vary from year to year, depending on evidence of need, meaning that people who received support from a previous round, may not be eligible for support during this round.

Residents can find full details of the HSF7 schemes and eligibility criteria by visiting this page

For cost-of-living advice and support, or to speak to someone about eligibility for HSF support, residents can contact the Wellbeing Hub by emailing wellbeinghub@wiltshire.gov.uk or calling 0300 003 4576 (Monday to Thursday, 9am-5pm; Friday, 9am-4pm, excluding Bank Holidays).

Residents should be prepared to provide evidence of need, this is different from being means tested for benefits.

Wiltshire Money, coordinated by Wiltshire Citizens Advice, are the lead body for financial inclusion activity within Wiltshire and provide a strategic framework for local, regional, and national organisations to coordinate, collaborate and share knowledge.

They run various events and training courses throughout the year, including the quarterly Wiltshire Money Forums. Wiltshire Money work with over one hundred organisations across Wiltshire, including Housing Associations, Utility Providers, and small local charities.

This is the seventh round of funding, made available to Wiltshire Council since 2021. How previous rounds have been distributed can be found on our Freedom of Information pages: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/data-protection-foi-log