Bolton Council spent almost a million pounds of a government grant on supermarket vouchers to see residents through the winter.

The sum is from the Household Support Fund (HSF), of which the period between October of last year and March of this year is the third round since the fund was launched a year and a half ago.

Local authorities can choose how best to spend the money to support 'those most in need to help with global inflationary challenges and the significantly rising cost of living'.

In this round, Bolton Council was allocated around £2,780,000, of which it spent £942,295 on supermarket vouchers for residents.

Most of these residents were those with children on free school meals, although there was also provision for those like care leavers.

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Of the remainder, the authority allocated £500,000 to the Local Welfare Provision (LWP), which offers one-off, short-term support in the form of food and other essentials to a number of people in need. It allocated £200,000 to a number of organisations across the area, such as Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Urban Outreach.

There was £100,000 to help people with the cost of accommodation, and there was £69,345 to help people with the cost of energy through the creation of 'warm banks'.

Lastly, the authority spent £75,000 on the administrative costs associated with the HSF.

All of this expenditure leaves a little less than £895,000 to be used before the end of March this year. Bolton Council's cabinet considered what to do with the sum when it met at the town hall  this week.

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There, it settled upon targeted schemes for people with disabilities and for pensioners, as well as top-ups to Bolton's Care and Repair Service and to the LWP, which is predicted to run out due to demand.

Afterwards, council leader Martyn Cox said: "The Household Support Fund is designed to support residents who are struggling with the rising cost of living.

"It is right councils have been given discretion on how to spend their allocation, as we are best placed to understand local needs and local priorities.

"Our allocation has been targeted at supporting children on free school meals, helping households pay essential costs and setting up a network of warm banks.

"We are lucky to have many outstanding charities and community groups, and some of our HSF money has been allocated via Bolton Fund to help them support residents in need."