This fund makes vital financial support available for eligible families across Royal Greenwich.

Using funding from the UK Government’s Household Support Grant, we’ll be supporting schemes from April to September 2024. This ensures our residents stay warm, well and safe.

We’re sending payments to groups we know are particularly vulnerable to the ongoing cost of living crisis. It includes school holiday payments for:

• families with children on free school meals
• families with pre-school children under 5 years old
• care leavers
• vulnerable households with ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF)
• residents in temporary hotel accommodation

Free school meals

All children currently claiming means-tested free school meals in Royal Greenwich schools will qualify for a payment.

We confirm eligibility through schools. We’ll contact you by text message or email to let you know how you’ll receive the payment.

We’ll make 4 payments:

1. £15 per child for the October half term
2. £30 per child for the Christmas holiday
3. £15 per child for the February half term
4. £30 per child for the Easter holiday

Apply for free school meals through the Council or contact your school

Payments for pre-school children

For pre-school children under 5 years old, we’ll confirm eligibility through Greenwich Children’s Centres and early-years childcare providers. We’ll contact you by text message or email to let you know how you’ll receive the payment.

We’ll make payments at the same rate and at the same time as free school meal payments. 

If your child is not yet registered at a childcare setting, find out more about our children's centres.

Care-leavers and households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF)

In the winter, we’ll issue payments of £250 to:

• Greenwich care-leavers
• households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) – these households have an immigration status that prevents them claiming benefits they would otherwise be entitled to claim

We confirm eligibility through the Care Leavers’ and NRPF teams. If you’re eligible, we’ll contact you by text or email to let you know how you’ll receive the payment. If you’re not contacted and think you’re eligible, speak to your personal adviser or caseworker.

Residents in temporary hotel accommodation

We’ll issue weekly payments of £10 per person to Royal Greenwich residents that we place in temporary hotel accommodation.

If you’re currently living in a hotel and have not received a payment, speak to your Temporary Accommodation Officer.

We’re here to help

The Household Support Fund strengthens our existing programmes.

Emergency Support Scheme

We set up our Emergency Support Scheme (ESS) to provide discretionary support to Royal Greenwich residents in difficult times. For example, after a crisis like a house fire or flood, or if you’re temporarily struggling with essential payments.

We’ve invested additional funding to ensure the scheme can continue to support residents struggling with costs. It’s important to remember that:

• any Royal Greenwich resident can apply
• applications are always open
• awards are subject to eligibility criteria

There are 2 types of support available:

• community support awards – to provide basic furniture and household items
• emergency support payments - one-off cash payments

Find more information or make an application at Emergency Support Scheme. If you need support with your application, call 020 8921 2078.

Welfare rights and money advice

We’ve invested in the support the Greenwich Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service offers.

The Welfare Rights team will work one-on-one with you to:

• resolve issues with your benefits
• maximise your benefit entitlement

Call the public advice line at 020 8921 6375 (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 1pm) or submit an online enquiry to contact the team.

The Money Advice team will work one-on-one with you to plan how to:

• maximise your income
• reduce your expenditure
• manage your debts
• put the plan into action so you can get on top of your finances

Support from the Money Advice Team is available by specialist referral only.

Advice hubs

Advice hubs are drop-in centres in community locations around the borough. They’re run in partnership with Citizens Advice, Greenwich Housing Rights and the Plumstead Community Law Centre. They give you the opportunity to get free, face-to-face advice on:

• welfare benefits
• debt
• housing
• immigration

Live Well Greenwich

Whether it’s about access to food, concerns about living costs or not knowing how to get the support you need, speak to Live Well Greenwich.

Call the Live Well Line on 0800 470 4831 to speak with someone about the things you’re worried about and the support you need

Greenwich supports

The schemes described on this page are part of our wider cost of living response Greenwich Supports. We aim to identify gaps in funding and support our most vulnerable residents.