Southwark Council Cost of Living Fund

There is a new Southwark Cost of Living Fund for 2024.

The Southwark Cost of Living Fund is for vulnerable or low-income households at risk of hardship due to the higher cost of food, energy, and other essentials.

You can find more about what support is available below. More information will be added as new forms of support become available.

Holiday free school meals

If you have one or more children attending a Southwark school and eligible for benefits-related free school meals, you will receive help paying for their meals during the May half-term and the long summer holiday starting in July.

The support is worth £3 per day (the value of a daily school meal) per eligible child.

You can use our contact form if you have questions about holiday free school meals.

Healthy free school meals for secondary school children

We provide Healthy free school meals for all children attending Southwark primary schools. We'll provide healthy free school meals for the 2023/2024 school year for more secondary school children.

Holiday clubs for children aged 4 to 16

If your child gets benefits-related free school meals they can join a Food and Fun holiday club in Southwark. The clubs run fun activities and provide healthy and free food.

Find out about holiday clubs for children aged 4 to 16 during the summer holidays.

Supporting residents move to Universal Credit

The UK government is replacing legacy benefits with Universal Credit. This means households still claiming these benefits will be required to claim Universal Credit between April and September 2024. One of the benefits being replaced is Housing Benefit.

We will be providing a one-off payment of £250 from the Southwark Cost of Living Fund to households who are migrating from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit between April and September 2024.

Southwark Emergency Support Scheme

Southwark Emergency Support Scheme (SESS) can help if you're a Southwark resident who is facing a crisis, emergency or disaster and needs help.

You can apply to the Southwark Emergency Support Scheme if you or your partner are receiving one of the benefits listed below or have made a claim for one or more of these benefits in the last six weeks and are waiting for a decision on a claim:

• Universal Credit including the personal allowance element
• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance (income based)
• Employment Support Allowance (income based)
• Guaranteed Pension Credit

Page last updated: 28 June 2024