Councillors to agree allocation of Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund

At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 20 March, councillors will discuss funding plans for the Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund for 2025/26, which will allow us to continue supporting residents affected by the cost of living crisis. 

This will include funds from the government’s Household Support Fund, which is being extended until 31 March 2026. 

Household Support Fund

Since October 2022, the Department for Work & Pensions has provided the Household Support Fund to local authorities, initially to support vulnerable households during the pandemic and subsequently to help alleviate the cost of living crisis.

The exact amount of funding that we will receive for 2025/26 has not yet been confirmed; however, based on the national figure announced by the government, we anticipate this to be around £3.8 million – around £0.5 million less than the council received in 2024/25.

This funding will be added to the Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund, set up by the council in 2024 to help combat poverty in the city as part of our Cost of Living Action Plan.

Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund 

The Fairness Fund brings together council resources, reallocated funding, donations and paid partnerships with energy companies, as well as the Household Support Fund, to support low-income households most impacted by the cost of living crisis.

We’re expecting total funding of around £4.3 million to be available for 2025/26 – this will comprise the Household Support Fund plus £551,000 from the Fairness Fund.

Prioritising prevention

The proposed allocations for the Fairness Fund in 2025/26 intend to move the city’s welfare support response towards a stronger prevention model, finding longer-term solutions for households and reducing the need for future crisis or hardship support.

With demand for homelessness prevention services expected to increase in 2025/26, the proposals also include £500,000 for Homelessness Prevention and Housing Advice. This would allow us to support a new approach linking welfare advice and employment support services more closely with housing advice.

The proposals also include continued support for projects previously funded by Household Support Fund allocations that have worked well, such as: 

• Providing food support in the city, including through community emergency food providers and children’s centres, as well as vouchers during the holidays for families who receive free school meals 
• Funding help for essential items and advice through partner community and voluntary sector organisations
• Energy support programmes, including advice provided by MAP+ and energy efficiency help and visits from BHESCO LEAP
• Money Advice Plus’s ‘Lift Up’ financial coaching scheme for low-income households that do not qualify for benefits

Continued support

Councillor Mitchie Alexander, chair of the Poverty Reduction Steering Group, said: “We know that many households in Brighton & Hove are still struggling financially, so I’m pleased that the Household Support Fund has been extended for another year. 

“This will allow us to continue supporting residents most affected by the cost of living crisis, while complementing other initiatives such as the council tax reduction scheme and discretionary housing payments.

“We want to help residents achieve financial security and stability in the longer term, so the proposals for the Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund in 2025/26 include a greater focus on prevention work.

“This includes funding for homelessness prevention, welfare benefits advice, energy support programmes and financial coaching.”

Support with the cost of living

You can find information on help and support on our support with the cost of living web pages.

This includes emergency help and money advice, information on eligibility for discounts on energy bills, and advice and tips and about saving energy and keeping your home warm.

We’ve also got information on health and wellbeing support.