Thousands of people in Norfolk face losing a "lifeline" which has helped them through the cost of living crisis, charity bosses and council chiefs warn.
The Household Support Fund, currently available to those struggling with basic costs for food, bills and other essentials, is due to end next month. This comes ahead of an expected spike in demand over the winter.
More than 90,000 households in Norfolk have been helped through the grant, administered by the county council, over the past year.
But, with the government yet to announce whether it will continue the fund, there are fears vulnerable people will face stark choices.
Ben Scarlett, director of Norfolk Community Advice Network, said the fund had been a "lifeline" and said: "No one in Norfolk should be choosing between heating and eating.
"With changes to the winter fuel allowance, we are very worried people will really struggle this winter."
David Powles, chief executive of Norfolk Community Law Service, said the loss of the scheme was "a huge worry".
He said: "We have used these grants to provide debt advice to people in crisis, and offer supermarket vouchers to clients who have no food in the house."
Since 2021, £43.5m has been spent on the Household Support Fund - £40.2m from the government and £3.3m from Conservative-controlled County Hall.
Andrew Jamieson, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for finance, has written to ministers urging them to retain the "vital" scheme.
He said: "We've seen just how critical this extra support has been to many households in Norfolk through the cost of living crisis, and we know many people who rely on this support will be concerned to see it end.
"We will continue to help those in need via our Client Hardship Service, with funding in place for the rest of this financial year, but until the government lays out a clear plan for getting central funding to people in need, both we and many Norfolk residents are going to be living with real uncertainty."
A government spokesperson said: "This government will tackle the scar of poverty by making sure work pays, and improving support to help people into good work.
“More details on the Household Support Fund will be set out in due course."
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