Residents of Barking and Dagenham who are most in need could be entitled to help and support from the Household Support Scheme and are being encouraged to get in touch with the council to get help and support through the winter.



The borough’s share of the scheme is £2.1m, which falls far short of the money our residents have lost as a result of the £20 a week Universal Credit reduction.



The funding will be available to vulnerable residents to support them with essentials over the coming months.



Councillor Dominic Twomey, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Core Services, said: “By the end of the financial year our residents will have lost over £16.5m due to the Universal Credit cut of £20 a week. The additional funding announced from government is therefore a drop in the ocean and runs only until the end of March 2022.



“Removing the £20-a-week is already proving catastrophic for a significant number of residents. This token gesture from government shows that it simply does not care about the thousands of Barking and Dagenham residents who are struggling on Universal Credit. We will take this up on their behalf, demanding the government gives more help to those who need it most.



“Government rightly found money to support businesses from going under – they can find the money to help ordinary people from going under too.”

Residents can apply at www.lbbd.gov.uk/individual-assistance-payment-iap-support-payments or email at benefits@lbbd.gov.uk