Covid grant scheme extended with an extra £40m

LONDON: A coronavirus grant scheme providing help with food and bills for vulnerable households has been extended, with an extra £40 million available.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said the Covid Winter Grant Scheme would be renamed the Covid Local Support Grant and will now run until June 20, in line with England’s road map, which is expected to finally lift lockdown restrictions on June 21.

The scheme, which allows English councils to provide support to families and individuals, was originally due to expire on March 31 but had already been extended to April 16. Ms Coffey told MPs the move was in recognition that “some restrictions on the economy continue”.

She said: “The initial scheme was issued at £170 million and was due to conclude at the end of March 2021. “In the first two months of the scheme, covering December 2020 and January 2021, local authorities spent over £86million, with 94 per cent awarded to support families with children and 96 per cent used on the provision of food and support with utility bills.

“In the same period, nearly 2.4 million awards had been made to vulnerable households through the scheme.” The first extension added an additional £59.1 million of support, and a further £40million has now been allocated.