Extra financial help for families hit hard by Covid-19 pandemic

Families in Mansfield, Ashfield and Eastwood that have been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic are to receive extra financial support from the government.
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, who has welcomed an extension to the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, who has welcomed an extension to the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, who has welcomed an extension to the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.

The Covid Winter Grant Scheme has been extended to cover April, and Nottinghamshire is to receive a further £805,153.

The scheme has enabled local councils in England to provide targeted support for families and individuals through the winter, with a particular emphasis on children.

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The financial help has helped to keep them warm and well fed, and has offered support with utility bills.

For example, Ashfield District Council has been issuing vouchers to the value of £30 per person. To qualify, the recipients must meet a certain number of criteria to prove they are struggling to make ends meet.

The extension of the scheme has been welcomed by Ashfield’s Conservative MP, Lee Anderson

He said: “I know many families in Ashfield and Eastwood have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic.

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"That’s why I’m delighted that the vital support provided by the Covid Winter Grant Scheme is being extended.

"The extra £805,153 for Nottinghamshire families will help provide financial security as we continue on the roadmap out of lockdown.”

As of the end of January, councils had spent £86 million on support across the country.

In the first two months of the scheme, nearly 2.4 million grants were made to vulnerable households.

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The scheme was due to end on March 31 but, with Covid restrictions still in place, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey, announced the extension, which will lead to a further £59.1 million being spent.