How families can get crisis support to heat homes

How families can get crisis support to heat homesJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleClara BullockSomersetGetty ImagesA fund will help families in Somerset who struggle to heat their homesA crisis fund supporting families who struggle to afford to heat their homes and buy food can now be accessed online.Somerset Council has been given more than £20m by the Department for Work and Pensions to spend over three years, which struggling families can access through the Citizens Advice website.The Crisis Resilience Fund includes money specifically for those reliant on oil to heat their homes in Somerset.Somerset councillor Heather Shearer said: "One thing the Crisis Resilience Fund wants us to do is not just support people in crisis, it also wants us to work in our community, give more strength and support for the organisations who already support our families."More from SomersetPaedophile and ex-BBC presenter sent back to prisonMen suffer 'significant injuries' in nightclubCouncil house damp is 'ruining our lives'The council received £22.66m in funding, with an additional £1.2m to spend on heating oil.Shearer said a previous fund, called the Household Support Fund, would be given to the council in six-month batches, but this new fund is guaranteed for use over the next three years.The money will be shared out via Citizens Advice Somerset, with a new system in place to allow families to apply directly through its website.The council said a pot of money would be made available for families who need immediate financial support, which will be delivered through a cash-first approach to "ensure dignity and choice".Citizens AdviceAngela Kerr, CEO of Citizens Advice Somerset, which supports families who are struggling financiallyIt comes as heating oil prices have risen due to the Iran war, with MPs calling on the government to help.Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke has called for more help for rural communities amid risks peopl...