FAMILIES in York and North Yorkshire who are struggling with food and utility bills are set to receive extra support.

The Government has announced the final extension of its Covid Local Support Grant to September, in line with the end of furlough and other Covid-related support.

York will receive £392,216, bringing the total support it has received through the grant to £1,051,874, to help vulnerable families as the economy recovers and the vaccine rollout continues.

North Yorkshire will receive £1.35m, in addition to the £2.27m previously received.

The support has included food vouchers and help with winter heating costs.

This is on top of the £220m Holiday Activities and Food programme, which has been scaled up to cover the whole of England across major school holidays in 2021, including summer.

With a new funding round, councils will continue to adapt their offer to meet local needs. Anyone in need of support should contact their council to find out about what will be available and how to access it.

The grant has distributed almost £30m to Yorkshire and the Humber regional councils since its launch in December 2020 to create new tailored support. The funding is ring-fenced so that 80 per cent is used to help with bills for food, key utilities and other essentials.

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince said: “This grant is ensuring that thousands of families get help with food and essential utility bills as we move back towards normality.

“The new funding extends this lifeline to those most in need in the coming months as we continue to help families back on their feet, including supporting people back into work through our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs.”