Thousands of Hartlepool youngsters to share in nearly £1m of government food vouchers

Hartlepool Borough Council chiefs have allocated £1,986,043 as part of the latest round of cash from the Government’s “household support fund”.

A total of £912,000 is to be used to support families by providing £120 in food vouchers to be distributed to all children eligible for free school meals aged 2-19, which should help around 8,000 children and young people.

Elsewhere £544,800 will be used to provide payments or food vouchers of £120 to pensioners in receipt of Local Council Tax Support.

Meanwhile £84,000 will be used to set up a household support fund application fund aimed at those who can evidence they are struggling but cannot access other forms of support.

A similar £25,000 scheme will be set up to help residents with exceptional housing costs not already covered by other funding streams.

The Big League CiC will receive £30,000 to offer household goods and Cleveland Fire Brigade £12,000 to provide food parcels to those in need.

Hartlepool Food Bank will receive £20,000, with £90,000 and £128,000 respectively going to the Citizens Advice Bureau and Advice at Hart to provide fuel vouchers and energy bill support.

Another £20,000 will go to Anglian Water to help tackle water poverty with £10,000 for West View Advice and Resource Centre to provide household essentials.

Finally £7,600 is to go to Hartlepool Carers and £3,270 to Kilmarnock Road Young People and Family Centre, with both providing food vouchers and help with energy top-ups.

The proposals were approved by the council’s finance and policy committee.