Wandsworth benefits from the biggest Cost of Living Fund in London

People in Wandsworth are benefiting from the biggest and most generous Cost of Living Fund in London, implemented by Wandsworth Council. The £15m fund has been used to help residents facing financial hardship. In addition, the Council is building new, affordable homes, working to feed children each morning and helping pensioners claim pension credit.

This is in response to the recommendations of our Cost of Living Commission, which was established to understand the local impacts of the crisis and how the Council can build long-term resilience. It gathered evidence from residents and organisations and used that to create recommendations related to housing, food, energy, transport, and systemic inequalities. 

Since the Commission’s final report in November 2023, work has been ongoing to implement the recommendations and ensure vulnerable residents receive the support they need.  

The Commission said we should: 

Maximise income in Wandsworth by making it easier for Wandsworth residents to receive the support they are entitled to.  

We did:  

Through the Low-Income Family Tracker (LIFT) programme, the Council has helped 267 additional young people access free school meals, and 225 households claim pension credit, having already put £1m in their pockets. The Council’s Breathing Space Scheme continues to offer debt relief for residents, pausing enforcement actions and giving them crucial breathing room to recover financially. 

The Commission said we should: 

Increase local housing supply, and improve conditions for those in temporary accommodation and experiencing homelessness: 

We did: 

In 2024/25, we aim to complete 168 new homes and have secured £16.5 million from the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund to provide 56 homes for temporary accommodation. The Council’s Alton Renewal Plan in Roehampton will deliver over 650 new homes, with over 50 per cent designated as affordable housing. We’re also making improvements to our temporary accommodation, with a new communal laundry installed at Nightingale Square and a new playground due to be installed by the end of the year.  

A new rough sleepers’ hub is set to open by early 2025, offering critical services under one roof.   

The Commission said we should: 

Tackle child food poverty. 

We did: 

After a successful pilot, we're expanding the Free Breakfast Provision in Schools initiative which last year fed 3,000 children a day to all interested schools, ensuring children start their day with nutritious food, backed by a £320,000 investment. 

We’ve also adopted the Wandsworth Schools Food Strategy which lays out how we will ensure all children and young people in the borough have access to good, nutritious food. A key part of this is the Holidays Activity & Food (HAF) Programme which provides nutritious meals and activities to those who receive pupil premium funding. 

These actions are just a selection of the Commission's findings. Read the full recommendations of the Commission.

Visit the Cost of Living Hub

What next? 

The Council remains dedicated to supporting our residents, improving access to affordable housing, providing access to crucial financial and wellbeing services, and tackling climate change. Through continued collaboration and innovative approaches, the Council is working towards a fairer, more compassionate, and more sustainable future for all. 

According to the group ‘London Challenge Poverty Week’, one in four Londoners are in poverty in a city ranked as the fourth wealthiest in the world. London Challenge Poverty Week runs 14-20 October and is about finding solutions to poverty. Find more information on the London Challenge Poverty Week website.