Decision details

The Cabinet gave consideration to a report of the Director of Finance which sought approval to allocate the Household Support Fund grant from the Department of Work and Pensions in the sum of £2,419,369 over the period 1^st October 2022 to 31^st March 2023.

The report set out the options for the allocation of the funding across several initiatives including food support for children and young people over the school holiday periods and help with costs of duel and essential items for pensioners and vulnerable households.

Options/alternatives considered

Option 1 - provides £1.95m of school vouchers and contributes £385,000 towards the Council’s Response to the Cost of Living Crisis.

Option 2- is as per Option 1 but with an additional cash payment of £30 to support the purchase of school uniforms for parents with children who qualify for Free School Meals (FSM) at reception and year 7, based on £30 per child. This would cost £75,000 and reduce the contribution to the Response by the same amount.

Option 3- reduces the school voucher payment over the Christmas holiday to £15 and allocates £500,000 to fund a payment of £22.50 towards fuel costs to all residents currently receiving Council Tax Reduction benefits.

Option 4 - the Council could choose not to deliver a package of support to vulnerable residents over the April to September 2022 period. As the DWP funding is ringfenced, this would mean returning the funding to the Government. This option can be quickly discounted.

RESOLVED – That Cabinet approved Option 1 which utilised the Housing Support Fund grant funding in full.

·         Food Support for children and young people at £15 per week for the October,February and Easter holidays and total payment of £20 per week per eligible child over the Christmas holiday 1,950,000.

·         Additional Support for the Local Welfare Provision Scheme 25,000.

·         Allocations to support the Council's response to the Cost of Living Crisis:

·         Support for the Warm Homes Team to provide fuel vouchers for those in emergency need and the provision of a boiler repair/replacement service 1 00,000.

·         Enlisting support in partnership with funding administered by Action

Together, from the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise

sector to provide support ) in the following areas, 220,000

-       warm clothing /bedding

-       support for those with no recourse to public funds

-       essential items for the elderly including food

·         Provide additional funding for Age UK to support older people with fuel

payments.50,000.

·         Providing additional HUGGG vouchers to complement the Holiday Activity Fund. 15,000

·         Administration costs 59,369

·         Total £ 2,419,369