Publish date: 17 February 2023
Ribble Valley Borough Council has doubled the value of food vouchers it is offering vulnerable households facing the cost of living crisis. The council has used Shared Prosperity Fund money to set up a Household Support Fund, which has attracted 191 applications and given over £18,000 in food vouchers to 124 households in the borough.
The fund is aimed particularly at families with children, pensioners, unpaid carers and people with disabilities and the council has launched a new phase to support households who do not qualify for other Government support.
Food vouchers have now doubled in value to £200 for single households, £300 for households with two or more adults and £500 for households with children, and the qualifying household income threshold has been raised from £31,400 to £41,718.
Those who have already received assistance from the fund will automatically receive a top-up to the new amount. The vouchers are available until March 31 2023, while funds last, and only one application per household is allowed.
Households in receipt of a council tax rebate, disability cost of living payment or funds from the energy bills support scheme are invited to apply. The fund will not impact on any benefits that applicants already receive and further information and an application form is available at ribblevalley.gov.uk.