Brent Family Food Fund

Brent Council is aware that many families are experiencing financial hardship but do not qualify for Free School Meals due to the income thresholds set.

Given the ongoing cost of living crisis affecting Brent’s residents, Brent has agreed additional financial support of £1m for those households struggling during the cost-of-living crisis. We anticipate to support 2500 children through this fund and the maximum award will be £400 per child in a rolling year.

The Family Food Fund has been made available for reactive applications from 3 July 2023 allowing residents to apply for support through the fund by completing the online application form: (https://customerportal.brent.gov.uk/family-food-fund)

If a Brent resident qualifies, the support provided will be in the form of supermarket vouchers to enable the family to purchase food and household essentials. (This is the same support provided to families already in receipt of free school meals).

The Family Food Fund eligibility criteria can be found below:

• The parent/guardian is a Brent resident

• The child/children is a Brent resident

• The parent/guardian is not already in receipt of free school meals

• The parent/guardian is in receipt of any DWP/HMRC benefits and/or

• The net income is less than £350 per week for single adults

• The net income is less than £500 per week for both applicant and partner

For further information please contact Nadine.Gittens@brent.gov.uk or Asha.Vyas@brent.gov.uk

Finding support available to Brent Residents

If you are struggling this year to meet the rising costs of living - energy, food, rent, clothing etc. please visit Brent's web page: 

https://www.brent.gov.uk/cost-of-living-help-and-advice 

for support and ideas.

On the web page you will find support with 

• money and debt
• homelessness
• energy and water bills
• where to stay warm this winter
• Mental help support

Brent Resident Support Fund

The Brent Resident Support Fund is available to Brent residents who are having difficulty due to unforeseen financial circumstances.

Brent residents can apply for financial support for up too £1000

This fund is available to cover:

• Increased household expenditure such as food and utility bills
• Council Tax arrears
• Rent arrears if you are not already getting Housing Benefit or Universal credit (if you are getting Housing Benefit or Universal Credit already, you should apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment instead).
• White goods if you have moved into a new unfurnished rented property. (Please note that this is capped at £400 per application)
• Counselling and mental health services
• Access to the internet, a laptop or both
• Essentials linked to energy and water, including soap, sanitary products, winter clothing, blankets, boiler service/repair
• Increased costs for the winter such as food, fuel and other essentials

The Brent Resident Support Fund is available for those who are:

• Brent Resident aged 18 or over
• have less than £6,000 in savings
• need support in meeting your day to day living expenses including food and utility bills
• are not seeking support to pay for an excluded item
• are willing to meet any reasonable conditions concerning the payment award, for example, support from advice agencies
• have not had more than two RSF awards in one financial year (except during exceptional circumstances e.g. moving house)

To apply for the Resident support fund, click here: CLICK

Household Support Fund

The Government's Household support Fund (HSF) has been used to provide support to Brent households with the cost of food and fuel in the form of food vouchers, grants and financial support to food aid organisations.

A proportion of the Household support Fund has been used by Brent Council to issue a one-off £120 supermarket voucher to each household in receipt of council Tax Support which has someone of state pensionable age residing there.

To apply for this fund, click here: CLICK 

Discretionary Housing Payment

You can apply for a discretionary one-off Housing payment to support with

• Rent shortfall
• Rent deposits
• Rent in advance (if you need to move home)

The Discretionary Housing Payment is available to those how:

• Live in Brent
• Have a liability to pay rent
• Receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit

You can make an application online through the "My Account" section here: https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-support 

Council Tax Support scheme

This is available to anyone living in Brent who:

• Lives in their property as their main home and
• Has less than £6,000 in savings

The level of support available will be based on the household income

You can make an application online through the "My Account" section here: https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-support 

There is also a Council Tax Rebate available for households in Bands A-D

• If you pay Council Tax by Direct Debit, this will automatically be received in the Spring
• If you do not pay by Direct Debit, you need to complete the energy rebate form here: https://www.brent.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-rebate-to-help-you-with-your-energy-bills#propertiesinbandsetoh
• Bands E to H - discretionary element is in development
• If you pay less than £150 in Council Tax, you may still be eligible to apply

Brent Hubs

Brent Hubs have been set up to provide support and advice to Brent residents who are struggling to pay utility bills this winter.

Support from the Brent Hubs includes:

• Assistance with completing funding applications for support from local and national schemes
• Referral routes to other advisory services who specialise in energy support (e.g. Green Doctors* and SHINE**)
• Referral routes to food banks and emergency supermarket vouchers
• Urgent support with topping up gas and electricity meters

Access support from a Brent Hub through their drop-in services: Check out where and when here: Brent Hubs

Alternatively speak to someone from the Brent Hubs team: 

Brent residents call: 0208 937 1234 - telephone lines are open Monday - Friday from 11am to 3pm

*Green Doctors are expert energy advisors who provide free phone consultations and home visits. They can support with switching energy tariffs, applying for national financial support schemes, energy saving measures and priority services register. To get in touch, call 0300 365 3005 or email greendoctorsldn@groundworks.org.uk 

**SHINE - are the Seasonal Health Intervention Network. They provide a free energy advice service to help reduce utility bills and to tackle energy debt. Get in touch with them by clicking here: SHINE

Food aid and vouchers

Supermarket vouchers have been supplied to eligible families via the Edenred system. This system will continue in the Christmas, February and Easter holidays. 

School will be in contact if your family is eligible.

Support with Debt

A standard breathing space is available to anyone with problem debt. This gives legal protection from creditor action for up to 60 days. The protections include pausing most enforcement action and contact from creditors and freezing most interest and charges on debts.

A mental health crisis breathing space is only available to someone who is receiving mental health crisis treatment. It lasts as long as the treatment does, plus 30 days.

Credit can be arrange with reputable Credit Unions such as these below:

(click on the names for links)

• Hillingdon Credit Union
• My Community Bank
• London Capital Credit Union

For support with debt - click on the agencies below:

• Step change - For advice on all debt matters
• Debt Free London - Free debt advice, night or day, 24/7
• Citizens Advice Brent - Advice on benefits, debt, housing and more
• Money Helper - free and impartial advice, in-depth guides, tools and calculators to help improve finance