“Sticking plaster” support: The Household Support Fund and localised assistance in the UK welfare state

The Household Support Fund is a creature of crises. Initially conceived as a temporary palliative for struggling UK households in 2021 amid the devastating COVID-19 crisis, the Local Authority administered support is now in its fourth wave. Accounting for over £2.5 billion of funding since its introduction, it is a flagship component of the UK Government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis. Drawing on interviews with twelve Local Authorities, we argue this scheme is part of an ongoing shift towards dependency on localised discretionary funds to mitigate increasingly insufficient central social security support - a role the fund is unable to fulfil in its current form. The paper falls into three parts. The first provides an overview of the origins of the HSF scheme and situates it in the shifting role of localised support in the UK social security system. The second provides an overview of the method. The third draws four key themes from the interview data: a lack of funding leading to “sticking plaster” provision, problematic tensions between supporting those most at need and concerns about “dependency” on crisis funds, administrative capacity shaping scheme design, and third sector organisations' increased role in both mediating and providing support. We conclude that the HSF signifies a significant ongoing shift towards localised support in the UK welfare state. Rather than comprehensive centralised provision, funds like the HSF are increasingly being tasked with mitigating insufficient working-age social security.