Household Support Fund

The council has been allocated a further round of Household Support Fund Grant Funding (HSF) - called HSF7 - by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This round of funding is to be used between April 2025 and March 2026 to support low income and vulnerable households facing defined cost of living pressures.

This support is being made available in stages and this page is updated as and when these offers become available.

HSF7 will provide a range of discretionary support rather than being legal entitlements and all awards are based on funding still being available. 

Council HSF support - automatic payments  

Most HSF support will be provided automatically without households having to apply.

• The council and Together for Children have again allocated HSF funding for vouchers for pupils eligible for means tested free school meals during the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays. The vouchers are worth £15 per pupil per holiday week and will be distributed by the pupils' schools. These vouchers will be in addition to a wide range of Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) provision across the city, and which also includes HSF funding.
• The council will also be making payments to many Adult Social Care users who receive Personal Budgets from Sunderland City Council and are not permanently living a Care Home. These payments will be made automatically later in 2025 to support these vulnerable residents that have low incomes and low savings.

HSF Applications (July 2025 onwards)   

Households that are vulnerable, struggling financially and do not have enough money for immediate food or fuel (prepayment meter) costs may be eligible for support under the council's new HSF application scheme.

Applications can be made via the council by telephoning the Home and Money Team on 0191 520 5551 from 8 July 2025.

HSF Application Criteria

• You must be a Sunderland City Council resident
• You must have no or limited savings
• You must be experiencing significant financial hardship, which means you are unable to meet your immediate short-term food and/ or energy needs.
• Only one award can normally be made to a household in this period.

Please note that all HSF awards are:

• Based on information and any requested evidence being provided
• Discretionary and not legal entitlements
• Can only be made while there is funding available to do so.

The council will also be commissioning 8 Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) providers to deliver a separate HSF application scheme from later on this year. Details will be added closer to the time however at the moment they are not accepting applications

Other HSF funded support.

The council is also providing additional support to a range of other organisations to directly support their own customers and is also providing some additional funding for its Local Welfare Provision Scheme. This support includes:

• Help for foodbanks/food aid providers to enable them to meet additional demands and supplement their existing offers,
• Funding for 'keep warm packs' that will be distributed by a range of city organisations.
• Funding to help develop Affordable Food Club capacity in the city
• Funding for a number of organisations to provide low-cost energy efficiency measures via roadshows, events and customer visits
• Extra funding for the councils Local Welfare Support Scheme to help it meet additional demands. If you are struggling financially, vulnerable, and unable to meet your immediate needs, you may be eligible for support.  

o   Crisis Support may provide help with food (where a foodbank is unable to help) and fuel (only for prepayment meter customers) where you receive a means tested benefit and have experienced an unforeseen crisis or emergency.

o   Community Care Support can, in certain circumstances, help with the costs of essential furniture and white goods when moving into a new home or, by exception, with replacement items.

Please see our Managing your money for details of other advice or support that maybe  available, including additional help with energy costs and energy efficiency, and other support services and schemes including the Government's own Cost of Living support

Please note: There are a number of texts, phone, social media and email HSF and Cost of Living scams currently circulating. If you receive any of these please do not open them, click on any of the links, or respond to requests for money.