FOOD aid packages and cost of living payments that thousands of vulnerable people in Westminster have begun to rely upon are set to be abandoned.

The Household Support Fund, which is used by the council to boost funding packages to charities that provide food aid, is due to be scrapped.

The city council says it also uses the funding to make direct payments to more than 2,000 households to help with the cost of living crisis.

The Labour leader of Westminster City Council Adam Hug (above) has written to chancellor Jeremy Hunt warning against the decision and that the cost of living crisis is not over.

The letter said: “Without the continuation of the crucial lifeline provided by the HSF, it is likely that this will result in less support for our most vulnerable families.”

The proposed cut will mean a family’s food budget is reduced by more than £230 a year, the council said.

Unemployed people getting cost-of-living payments will lose more than £850 a year.

Cllr Hug’s letter added: “Since April 2023 over 8,400 children and young people have received supermarket vouchers during all school holidays. Our most vulnerable children have been receiving £17.50 per week during the holidays, to ensure they have access to sufficient food through this period.

“For the children most in need, the end to the HSF will result in families having a direct reduction to their food budget of £238 per year, per child, which will likely result in children not having access to sufficient food during the school holidays.

“For an unemployed person over 25, even taking account of the uplift in benefits, the end of the HSF and cost of living payments will result in an annual reduction of 15 per cent of entitlements or around £853 per year.

“For a couple with three children this will mean a 6.1 per cent reduction of around £932 per year, which could mean having to choose between food and bills.

“The cost of living crisis is continuing to impact residents and the HSF has provided direct funds for over 1,000 households who are working with our partners. It has also been used to provide supermarket support to 2,400 low-income households incl-uding 1,000 pensioners and 700 people with disabilities who are hit hardest by the crisis.

“If the HSF is ended, then this will be a withdrawal of crucial support from these residents.”

Cllr Hug’s letter said that charities, including Age UK, are facing huge rises in complex cases about food aid and energy bill support.

A government spokes-person said: “We have invested over £2billion in the Household Support Fund with almost £800million already paid to families with children to help with the cost of living.

“The current fund is available up until March 2024 as part of wider cost of living support, worth on average £3,700 per household, including raising benefits by 6.7 per cent from April and increasing the Local Housing Allow-ance.”