Household Support Fund Leeds – Cost of Living Grants

The Household Support Fund (HSF) is a Central Government fund to help people in need pay for food and fuel.

Forum Central is administering grants for organisations to distribute to the people they support, particularly those in Communities of Interest including; organisations working with culturally diverse groups, people with mental ill health (including Young People), people with learning disabilities, physical or sensory impairments and older people.

To apply you must be a third-sector group or organisation working with people in Leeds. The funding has to be used to support people who are facing hardship to have access to fuel and food.

We are unable to accept applications from individuals who need help to pay for their own household fuel and food.

Grants of up to £5,000 are being awarded to organisations for onward distrubution to households in Leeds. We particularly welcome applications from small groups and organisations who wish to apply for less than £1,000.

Timeline

The grants round opens on Tuesday 27 May 2025 and closes at 5 pm on Tuesday 24 June 2025. A second round of funding will open in September and close in October 2025. All funding must be spent and monitoring submitted by Friday 27 March 2026. The Household Support Fund is a Central Government fund. The monitoring deadline is specified by the Department for Work and Pensions and Forum Central is unable to change this.

How to apply for a grant:

After reviewing suggestions from delivery partners in previous rounds we created a range of ways that groups and organisations can apply for a grant.

Online: To complete a short online application form please use this link to take you to the Household Support Fund grant application page: Household Support Fund Application Form | Jotform (No log in required)

Email: Download the application form to your computer, type your answers, save it and email it to grants@forumcentral.org.uk

Post: Download the application form, print it, handwrite your answers and post to:
Grants team, Forum Central, Suite E1 Joseph’s Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds LS3 1AB

Voice recorder: Read the questions on the application form and speak your answers into a voice recorder app on your smartphone, then email this audio file to grants@forumcentral.org.uk

Telephone: Call Jenni Scott at Forum Central on 07536 416 402 before the closing date to request a printed copy of the application form and guidance notes. Alternatively, ask Jenni to book an appointment slot so that someone from Forum Central can call you back to complete your application form over the phone. You may need to leave a message on the answering machine but phone calls will be returned.

Who else is delivering the fund in my area?

Other partners are administering Household Support Funds including Leeds Food Aid Network, Leeds Community Anchor Network and the Local Care Partnerships team. We will share a list of all organisations who receive a grant from us and areas of duplication will be considered. We will consider delivery by ward or area order, though some will cover more than one ward.

There will undoubtedly be a crossover between communities of interest and communities of place but we aim to ensure that delivery on a local level will complement provision city-wide.

How will my organisation/group receive the funds?

Funding must be paid into an organisation’s bank account, not an individual person’s bank account. Your group does not need to be constituted.

What can it be spent on?

The funding can be used to help people with fuel costs and/or provide food or food vouchers. The grant can also be spent on other wider essentials and essential items including energy saving goods, housing costs and travel in exceptional circumstances.

Because additional funding has been allocated to the Food Aid Network and the Community Anchor Network, Forum Central will prioritise funding which supports people with issues of fuel poverty.

Please note that overheads of groups and organisations need to be below 15% of the amount requested.

Contact

If you have any questions about the grant application process please email grants@forumcentral.org.uk or call 07536 416 402.

For full guidance, including monitoring requirements please download the fund guidance sheet: Household Support Fund Guidance