Norfolk County Council is topping up £6.7m of Government funding from the Household Support Fund with a further £1m to create a new Norfolk Cost of Living Support Scheme which will help people who are struggling to pay for food, energy and water bills, and other essentials. This scheme will which until October and includes:
£3.6m to support families with seven monthly cost of living vouchers for children eligible for means-tested free school meals. The payments will be £15 per month, per child, with an enhanced payment of £30 for August, to coincide with the school holidays. The total value will be £120 per child, over the course of the scheme. The vouchers will be paid from April (backdated) up to and including October..
£1m allocated to the council’s Norfolk Assistance Scheme (NAS) to support families in hardship, where there isn’t eligibility for free school meals. This support is available to families with very young children, young carers, and families caring for children with disabilities, many of whom may be facing significantly higher energy bills household bills and activities. It also means families will have payments during and outside school holidays with the option of saving them to use only in the school holidays if they prefer
£2.2m to support those aged 65 or over by providing cash and voucher awards through the voluntary sector and other partners such district, borough and city council, including a specific collaboration with Anglian Water, as well as support through NAS. The work with Anglian Water will support customers aged 65 or over who are on Anglian Water’s social tariffs, because they are in financial difficulty, providing a package of support to reduce and prevent debt. The Norfolk Assistance Scheme will also have specific provision of £900k for this group.
£840,000 to support others in need, including funding for district, borough and city councils to meet immediate housing concerns. This part of the scheme will also mean that voluntary sector agencies can refer those they are working with to the council for support.
If you are experiencing financial hardship please do contact the Council on 0344 800 8020, where they can offer you support either directly or through their partners.
