Stockport Council relaunches cost of living voucher scheme

Stockport Council has reintroduced a Winter Support Voucher scheme to assist thousands of families in the borough as part of its Warm and Well initiative to address the impact of the high cost of living.

The scheme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Household Support Fund, which has provided £4 million towards various initiatives in Stockport to help residents with the cost of living.

The Winter Support Voucher scheme is open to eligible families, which include those receiving Free School Meals (FSM), early years and Post-16 equivalent, and those (with dependents) in receipt of Local Council Tax Support and/or Housing Benefit. Qualified families will receive a £97.50 voucher per child, to help alleviate the financial strain of the current high cost of living.

All vouchers will be distributed during the week commencing 7th December. Vouchers for children who receive free school meals will be sent via email, if the Council possesses an email address for the qualifying family. Residents are encouraged to check their spam folders to ensure receipt. In cases where the Council lacks an email address, parents will receive vouchers by post.

Cllr Jilly Julian, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources commented,

“We fully acknowledge the challenges that people are confronted with due to the escalating cost-of-living crisis, and we want to do all we can to help residents across Stockport, especially households with young families. The winter season means added pressure on people from all walks of life. It’s important that everyone living in our borough is aware of the support available to them.”

Stockport residents facing financial crises can also apply for Support Funds, which may include referrals to food banks, aid with gas and electricity costs, assistance with Council Tax or rent support, with further details, along with information about other support programmes in the borough, available on the Stockport Council website.