Being there when the unexpected happens
Parenting is challenging in any circumstance, but when a crisis hits, it can feel overwhelming, and too many local families are navigating unexpected circumstances with limited financial resources and no safety net. When a family finds themselves struggling to provide for their children, the right support at the right time can mean the difference between stability and hardship.
That’s why community-based support is essential. Through Point North’s partnership with local charities, the Household Support Fund has helped families across County Durham navigate life’s toughest moments.
The Household Support Fund, provided by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), is a discretionary fund designed to help vulnerable households with essential costs.
It’s administered by local authorities, in our case Durham County Council and its aim is to provide immediate relief for people who are struggling to afford energy and water bills, food, and other necessities.
A father’s story: holding his family together
One father’s life changed overnight when his ex-partner left and never returned, leaving him solely responsible for their three children.
As an unemployed father, he was already facing financial difficulties. But because their mother was still claiming benefits for the children, he was unable to apply for additional support. He suddenly found himself in an impossible situation, with no financial means to care for his children, no immediate access to support, and no idea where to turn.
Feeling desperate, he reached out to a local charity supported by Point North, hoping for any kind of help.
Thanks to funding from the Household Support Fund, the charity was able to provide:
- Emergency food support to make sure the family had enough to eat
- School uniforms so the children could attend school with dignity
- Fuel assistance to keep the house warm
- Nappies and essentials for his youngest child, who has severe autism
This immediate intervention gave the father time to stabilise the situation, ensuring his children were safe, warm, and fed while he worked to find the longer-term support he needed.
Today, the children are settled and doing well in school, and while their father still seeks occasional support, he is now more secure and independent, able to provide for his family.
Support through life’s toughest moments
No parent should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their children. No child should have to go to school without a warm coat or a full lunchbox. But for too many families in County Durham, these are the realities of daily life.
Latest information from Durham County Council shows that nearly 1 in 5 children are living in ‘relative poverty’, meaning their family or household is living on less than £18,720 per year. Read more about the meaning of relative poverty and how it’s affecting the North East here.
Thanks to the Household Support Fund, we’ve been able to help families like this one weather life’s hardest moments, but there is still more to do. When families are supported, children can reach their full potential and look forward to a bright future.