Why the Household Support Fund must be extended

This week at Treasury questions I pressed the Government to provide some clarity on what will happen after the current extension of the Household Support Fund is up.

This measure has provided vital support for those who need it most as the cost of living crisis has deepened.

As new figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions this week show poverty across the country continues to rise. According to DWP data:

• 4.3 million children in the UK are now living in relative poverty- the highest number ever.

• 3.6 million children are living in absolute poverty- this figure is up by 300,000.

• 2.2 million children are living in “food insecure” households.

• 820,000 children are living in households that are reliant on foodbanks.

These figures are a damning indictment of 14 years of Tory austerity that has crippled our communities and are evidence that austerity has failed.

In one the richest countries in the world nobody should be reliant on a foodbank.

The Household Support Fund is providing vital support for so many families currently suffering with the rising cost of living. It must be extended to ensure that more families are not pushed into poverty and destitution.