West Oxfordshire Council to Aid Residents in Financial Crisis
Oxfordshire County Council expands Household Support Fund in West Oxfordshire.
An additional £222,171 has been granted to West Oxfordshire District Council to help support residents facing financial difficulties.
The funding has been provided by Oxfordshire County Council as part of the Household Support Fund. This scheme allows City and District councils to meet locally identified needs during the cost of living crisis.
Despite inflation rates dropping to 1.7% in October, according to recent data from the Consumer Price Index, between May 2021 and May 2024, consumer prices surged by 20.8%.
In response to these financial pressures, the allocated funding will be used to help those struggling with housing costs and council tax payments during the 2024/25 financial year.
The capital will be split into two areas:
Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) Fund - £107,528
This fund hopes to enable the Council to support residents experiencing severe financial crises and who are in receipt of Housing Benefit or the Universal Credit housing element. The extra finance will help reduce the risk of eviction and homelessness by offering vital assistance.
Council Tax Support for Low-Income Residents - £114,643
The remaining money will be used to support residents operating on low-incomes who are in receipt of council tax support. Following a financial modelling exercise, the Council has decided that a one-off payment of up to £25 will be deposited directly to eligible residents’ council tax accounts during September. Provided there is sufficient funding available, this credit will also be applied to any new council tax support customers throughout the financial year.
Councillor Alaric Smith, Executive Member for Finance, said: “We are committed to supporting residents through these ongoing challenging times, and this additional funding will enable us to help more people stay in their homes and support people with their council tax payments.”
The additional credit will be automatically applied to eligible residents’ council tax accounts.