£80 support payments for thousands on low incomes

Cornwall Council has secured £4.5m from the Department for Work and Pensions through the Household Support Fund

Low-income households in Cornwall are set to benefit from Household Support Fund (HSF) payments to help them with the cost of living.

Cornwall Council said it had secured £4.5m from the Department for Work and Pensions through the HSF.

Payments of £80 per person will automatically be made to those eligible, including pensioners who receive council tax support and vulnerable adults on low income.

In a change to the way HSF funds are allocated, payments will be made to an additional 3,000 pensioners in receipt of council tax support, the council said.

Urgent support

The latest round of funding will run to 31 March, 2025, to provide "urgent support" for those most in need.

It will primarily be used to assist low-income households to cover the cost of household essentials such as energy bills, water bills and food.

Councillor Dr Andy Virr, Portfolio Holder for Adults and Public Health, said: "I’m delighted that we have secured this additional funding.

"It’s vital that we continue to support those most in need across Cornwall, particularly as we head into the winter months.

"We still find ourselves in the midst of a cost of living crisis and times remain tough, but I hope this announcement will go some way towards reassuring families struggling to make ends meet that support is there to help them pay their bills and put food on the table."