Richmond Council has allocated nearly £4.5 million to help residents most affected by the rising cost of living, with targeted campaigns already identifying more than £9 million in lifetime benefits for local households.

Using the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) data platform, the council has been proactively contacting residents who may be eligible for financial support but are not currently claiming it. So far, almost 2,500 households have been helped through the scheme.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council, said: "No one in Richmond should feel they have to face the effects of rising costs alone. We are investing in practical, targeted support that makes a real difference – from warm, welcoming community spaces to energy saving home visits, crisis grants and help for families during the school holidays."

Working with the borough's voluntary and community sector, the council has expanded its network of warm, welcoming Community Spaces.

As of last month, the online directory lists 96 locations across the borough, including:

• 39 active Community Spaces
• 57 venues offering food support, financial advice, disability services, housing assistance, and children and family services

The borough's libraries are also hosting 'Winter Warmer' sessions until the end of the month, providing free hot drinks and community activities.

This winter saw a significant expansion of youth provision, with an additional 50 hours of youth worker capacity each week across the borough's five permanent youth centres. The funding has enabled extended opening hours, including weekends, and more one-to-one support for vulnerable young people.

Sessions include cooking on a budget, mental wellbeing workshops and targeted support programmes.

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More than 4,600 children have also received food vouchers during the school holidays to support families during school breaks.

The council's Warm Home Packs proved popular again this winter, with all 400 packs allocated by early December.

Meanwhile, the Fuel Grant Scheme provided targeted financial support of up to £170 to 1,337 households, helping residents manage rising energy costs and stay warm during the colder months.

Cllr Roberts added: "Our approach is simple: get the right support to the right people at the right time. We know many residents are still under immense pressure and it's incredibly important that we are still supporting households dealing with significant financial challenges."

The council has also partnered with Thames Water and Policy in Practice to automatically enrol eligible residents onto social water tariffs.

So far, 531 households have been auto-enrolled, delivering combined annual savings of more than £211,000.