Home-Start UK has joined dozens of charities by signing letters calling for greater financial support for families to both the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Deputy First Minister of Scotland.

Ahead of the Spring Statement set for the 15 March, Home-Start UK has joined some of the UK's biggest charities in signing an open letter to Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak and Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. The letter calls for the government to provide greater support around energy bills, to expand free school meals to all children prioritising families receiving Universal Credit or equivalent benefits, and the unfreezing of housing benefit.

The campaign is being organised by Together Through This Crisis partner organisations - Little Village, Save the Children, Shelter, Turn2us and 38 Degrees.

Home-Start is encouraging supporters to add their name to the open letter, which can be done here.

Sign the open letter.

In Scotland, Home-Start UK has joined a coalition of nearly fifty charities, anti-poverty organisations and campaigners in writing to the Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP. Ahead of the budget debate on Tuesday, the letter calls on the Scottish Government to pause debt recovery for money owed to public bodies in Scotland by people on the lowest incomes.

The letter urges Mr Swinney to use the budget to use the Scottish Budget to tackle the alarming issue of debt to public bodies. The letter calls for a pause on public debt recovery (e.g. council tax charges; rent arrears; water charges) for those on the lowest incomes for at least six months to give people breathing space during the cost of living crisis.

People on the lowest incomes are in the midst of a debt crisis, and overwhelmingly this is debt owed to public bodies. With unmanageable financial pressures for the poorest households many simply cannot absorb more costs as they fall deeper into debt trying to make ends meet. Paying back debt means households cannot afford to pay the bills and families are unable to buy the most basic essentials for their children. Many of our organisations are seeing increasing demand on hardship funds and financial support we provide to help those burdened with unsustainable levels of public debt.