People in Bury who rely on electrical medical equipment at home will receive help towards their energy bills.

More than 500 residents will initially benefit from the move - and ultimately around 2,000 people - for which funding of £200,000 has been identified by the council, using money from the Household Support Fund.

The local authority will also provide food vouchers during the Christmas, half-term and Easter holidays to children who receive free school meals at a cost of £650,000.

Other allocations of the grant include:

• Vouchers to people of working age on Council Tax Support and income-related Employment Support Allowance but not on Universal Credit

• Vouchers to support energy costs for care leavers up to the age of 25 and to support foster carers

• Targeted help for households identified by the council and its partners

• Support to community groups including foodbanks for targeted provision in their locality

Cllr Richard Gold, cabinet member for finance and communities at the council, said: “We are continuing to support our residents through these hard times, in particular those who may be experiencing particular hardship.

“As such we’ve ensured that we’ve targeted the Household Support Fund to make the best use of limited funds available.

“Working with our partners, we are delivering on our Cost of Living and Anti-Poverty Strategy which demonstrates our commitment to supporting local residents with immediate support while seeking to increase resilience in our communities.”