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£30m winter support package announced to help Manchester residents with cost of living

Payments will be made from November onwards.

Emily Sergeant - 15th October 2024

A £30 million support package has been announced to help Manchester residents with the cost of living this winter.

Manchester City Council is set to spend the money on helping those facing hardship and poverty as the weather turns colder, and this includes £6.5 million awarded through the Government’s Household Support Fund to target support for those most in-need of help to pay for energy, water, food, and other essentials up to April 2025.

According to the Council, this will supplement the already-ongoing wider work to support residents at risk from the cost of living throughout the year.

Enhanced support for pensioners has also been announced this week.

Under the new scheme, pensioners who are not in receipt of pension credits – and therefore will not receive the winter fuel payment – but still need support over the winter, will now be eligible for payments of £150, or £200 if they are aged 80 or over.

Struggling to afford essentials, or know someone who is? Get in touch with our team.

The cost of living is continuing to hit Mancunians. That's why we're announcing a wide range of support for those who need it.

Find out more below. 💬 👇 pic.twitter.com/GTyxL1QIrA
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) October 14, 2024

All low income Manchester households in receipt of Council Tax Support, where at least one person gets disability benefits, will get an automatic payment of £100 from the Council, it has been confirmed – with an estimated 21,437 households across the city are expected to benefit from this.

£10 per week is also to be paid to around 350 care leavers, who are living in their own tenancies across the city.

Families with children who are eligible for free school meals during term time will receive payments for each eligible child of £15 for the autumn half term, £30 for the Christmas holiday, and £15 for the spring 2025 half term to prevent holiday hunger – with payments distributed via Manchester schools.

A further £190,000 will also be allocated to the Council’s Holiday Activity Fund (HAF) to provide free activities for children during half terms.

A £30m winter support package has been announced to help Manchester residents with the cost of living / Credit: RawPixel

To round things off, £200,000 will be allocated to voluntary and community sector organisations working in the city to help make sure those who are harder-to-reach are still supported, and £20,000 will be added to funding for the Council’s existing welfare support scheme to provide grants for those facing hardship.

Councillor Bev Craig, who is the Leader of Manchester City Council, says these targeted payments will “make a real difference” to tens of thousands of Manchester people who are struggling with cost of living pressures.

“The message is clear, if you are struggling this winter, please contact us and we will support you,” she concluded.

Residents struggling with costs and wanting to find out more about the range of support available are encouraged to contact the Cost of Living Advice Line on freephone 0800 0232692 between 9am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Payments will be made from November onwards.

Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)