Wokingham MP Clive Jones has urged the government to secure funding for services like free school meals in Wokingham by delivering a long-term future for the Household Support Fund.
Ahead of this afternoon’s Spending Review, which will unveil the government’s long-term funding plans, those on the lowest incomes must be protected from the cost-of-living crisis.
Clive Jones himself was leader of Wokingham Council when the Liberal Democrats decided to use the fund to support local children and families who need the support the most.
Jones has written to the local government minister stating, “Wokingham is already one of the worst centrally-funded councils in England, and the last-minute, haphazard way this vital lifeline gets extended is not sustainable.
“It makes it harder for the council to be certain that services will exist for residents in the long-term, affecting their ability to plan and deliver without unnecessary anxiety for Wokingham’s most vulnerable people”
Ahead of the spending review, Jones added: “I have written to the local government minister and urged him to ensure projects like free school meals outside of term time continue in Wokingham.
“The government must announce long-term funding for the Household Support Fund, to ensure that the most vulnerable in our society are not left with the anxiety of whether the services they rely on will exist in the next five years.”
