Birmingham City Council funding to target children and pensioners

Birmingham City Council was given £12.79m from the government's Household Support Fund

A council plans to use the government's Household Support Fund to target support for children and pensioners.

Birmingham City Council received £12.79m to use until 30 September which it said would go towards food, energy, water and essential goods bills.

Just under £3m will be allocated to deliver crisis grants of up to £200 for residents facing financial hardship.

However Councillor Karen McCarthy said the funding feels like a "sticking plaster in the current climate".

Of the remaining funds, £4m will target households with vulnerable children and those on free school meals and the same amount will be spent supporting older adults known to social workers.

The council plans to spend £1.2m on administration costs and £1m will be given to a voluntary sector partner to assess and support grant applications.

Last week, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced every household in the UK is to get an energy bill discount of £400 as part of a package of new measures to tackle soaring prices.

Support plans

• Hardship grants of £200 per household will be delivered across Birmingham and will be available to all households faced with financial hardship - this will account for £2,732,000 of the funding.

• £4m will be spent on a Hardship Grant Scheme, for food and essentials targeted at households with children on free school meals and vulnerable children.

• A Pensioner Household Hardship Grants scheme worth £4m will be targeted at older adults known to social work teams.

Birmingham Voluntary Services Council (BVSC) will be used for payment and grant funding arrangements, the council said.

The charity supports volunteers working to help the communities in Birmingham.

Councillor Mariam Khan, cabinet member for health and social care, welcomed the funding.

She said: "Too many pensioners and other older adults are already really struggling and it is only right that they get the support they need".