Local councils can support vulnerable households with energy, food and water costs by utilising the Household Support Fund, and our Tail Spend Solution agreement can help
Published 2 February 2023
Last updated 8 February 2023
What support is available?
The Household Support Fund is for local councils to support vulnerable households in England with global inflationary challenges and the significantly rising cost of living. The funding covers the period 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.
What can the funding be used for?
The aim of the fund is to support any costs that directly affect a household’s ability to afford or access energy, food and water. The support will cover both immediate and long-lasting savings for the household. This includes, but is not limited to, insulation of hot water tanks, fitting draft excluders to a door, replacing inefficient light bulbs or providing white goods.
What is the deadline?
Funds should be spent or committed before 31 March 2023. You will need to have submitted a request and paid for the products by this date, but it is important to note that you can receive the products after 31 March 2023.
How our Tail Spend Solution can help
Our Tail Spend Solution is designed to support you with your ad-hoc, or one off, purchasing requirements. Choose from 2 user-friendly dynamic marketplace platforms to access over 8 million products. You can quickly compare products, vendors, lead times and pricing, helping you make purchases efficiently and cost effectively.
You can also get bulk purchase discounts, which make it an ideal solution to buy suitable goods to support your community through the Household Support Fund.
The platform also provides consolidation and transparency of data, enabling you to get the relevant management information for your reporting needs. For example, information required by DWP for the Household Support Fund. This data can also help you make future strategic contract management decisions about your low value/tail spend needs.
How did Staffordshire County Council use our Tail Spend Solution to support vulnerable households?
Staffordshire County Council used our agreement, awarding to Mercateo UK Limited, as part of their ‘here to help’ campaign that provides information, advice and support on managing rising bills. Through it they bought 1,400 slow cookers to give to vulnerable households around Newcastle-under-Lyme. This has now been expanded throughout the county, as a result of the successful pilot.
The Tail Spend Solution meant that Staffordshire County Council was able to get a volume based discount, ensuring they procured the goods they needed to support their residents whilst achieving value for money.
Staffordshire County Council says:
“With the cost of living rising, we know that many people are struggling especially during the winter months. Our ‘here to help’ project is targeted at vulnerable families who we feel will benefit from advice, guidance and the supply of suitable goods to help them through these cost of living pressures.
“The CCS Tail Spend Solution was identified as an ideal route to market to buy suitable products, such as slow cookers, in a quick and cost-effective manner.”
Bringing power to your procurement
To find out more about the funding opportunity and how we can help:
- learn more about the Household Funding Grant
- take a look at our Tail Spend Solution agreement
contact our category team by emailing info@crowncommercial.gov.uk