Fund gave £1.6m to vulnerable residents

The fund helps local residents with the cost of essentials such as food, water and energy bills

More than £1.6m has been given to North Devon's most vulnerable residents in the last three years through a government support scheme, council bosses have said.

The Household Support Fund (HSF) helps residents with the cost of essentials such as food, water and energy bills.

North Devon Council has also added £100,000 of unspent administration money to boost the cash pot to support people suffering hardship following the Covid pandemic.

The council said it was important residents "received as much as possible of this crucial support".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council had launched the fifth version of the fund which began in April and would run until September and totalled £253,000,

Due to demand, Devon County Council has awarded an additional £20,000 to North Devon from its own HSF, and members of North Devon Council’s strategy and resources committee agreed that £30,000 of administration costs for this year should also be added.

The HSF was due to end last March but was extended by the previous government for six months.

Local authorities can decide how to allocate HSF money, which in North Devon is usually by a combination of direct payments and application schemes.

Caroline Leaver, a Lib Dem councillor, praised the council's officers for making sure help could be given to as many households as possible, and said it was "really tough out there".

The Local Government Association has warned that ending the fund would create a "cliff-edge" in support because councils did not have the resources to continue it themselves.