Household Support Fund Discretionary Support

Overview

We continue to recognise that energy and household costs are increasing for many households.

The scheme can help with short-term living costs such as

• food,
• gas / electric,
• water,
• household bills,
• white goods, 
• essential furniture items

Eligibility

• You must be a resident of South Ribble (local government district)
• Have no more than £2000 in savings or avialable funds
• Experiencing financial hardship and not have enough resources to meet your immediate short-term needs.
• You do not need to be on benefits to access the scheme.

You will not be eligible to access the scheme if:

• The household has received a payment from this scheme since April 2025.

What do I need to do? 

We will ask you questions such as your name, address, contact details, and how many people live with you. We will also ask:

• About your current situation, and briefly how you came to be in it.
• What you have done already to try and improve your situation.
• What services you have already engaged with.

We will then ask you about the type of practical support you need, and if you need any emotional/wellbeing support. 

Practical support can include:

• Food voucher
• Energy voucher
• White goods
• Essential furniture items

When detailing the practical support you need, please ensure you are clear about what is required - your application may be denied if we are unable to determine the support you need.

The scheme does not cover:

• Any requests for items that are not essential for example debts incurred by gambling or loans/credit cards, overdrafts, Hire Purchase appliances, etc.
• Applications for large appliances or items not deemed as essential.
• Applications from those with sufficient income, savings, capital and assets. This is defined as having more than £2,000 available across all accounts held or savings.

Additional Information 

Please make sure that all relevant information has been submitted to ensure a decsion can be made on the application.

Applications that do not contain all documentation requested will be declined and you will need to reapply with all the documentation included.

All applications must be supported with bank statements for all adults in the household and for all accounts held. This includes those living with parents who are over 18 and no longer in full time education/university.

Bank statements must be:

• for two full calendar months.
• Show transactions in and out of the account including the ongoing balance.
• We must be able to clearly see the name and address of the applicant/those living with the applicant, account number and must be dated within the last 2 months.
• Where applicants submit multiple statements, please ensure each additional statement is for the same period.
• Screen shots showing the bank account details only will not be accepted, but pictures of bank statements may be submitted but must show the details requested above.

If we do not have this information the application will not be considered.

What happens after you apply 

A council officer will look at all the information on your application before deciding if we can make an award. The information you provide will help us decide: 

• whether you meet the eligibility criteria
• the amount you may be awarded

If you have provided us with an email address, written confirmation of the decision will be sent to you by email. If you do not have an email address, the decision notice will be sent to your home address by second class post.

We are expecting to recieve a large number of applications.  So that we may assess your application as quickly as possible, it would assist us that you only contact us after 28 working days from the date of your application, should you not have had a response.  Please check your junk email folder before contacting us at householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk

Can I appeal a decision if my application is unsuccessful? 

As this is a discretionary scheme there is no right of appeal, however if you think we have overlooked important information then you can ask us to reconsider your application by emailing us:

• householdsupportfund@southribble.gov.uk 

Please ensure you detail the reasons why and include your name and address.

As this is a discretionary scheme, there is no entitlement to it and decisions are based on your current circumstances. 

The Council's decision is final.