Decision details

The Cabinet received a report of the Assistant Director of Customer Experience that was seeking approval, from members, to allocate grant funding of £4,264,066.44 from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to Oldham Council to deliver the seventh round of the Household Support Fund (HSF) from 1^st April 2025 to 31^st March 2026.

HSF had been designed to support vulnerable households in most need with the cost of essentials during the funding period.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1: The extension of the Household Support Fund scheme continues to provide crisis support to low-income households living in Oldham. The support provided is well established and are all deliverable within the timeframe outlined within the DWP’s scheme guidance.

Option 2: to do nothing and not accept the Household Support Fund.

Option 1 was the preferred Option.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet agrees to approve the scheme, outlined in Table 1 of the report, noting that the proposed option balances supporting specific cohorts with providing support across a range of low-income households. The scheme proposed will ensure that the full grant funding is spent in accordance with the grant funding criteria from the DWP within the limited time allocated.

2.    The Cabinet notes that data and insight have been used to inform the proposed options in addition to engagement with teams delivering the fund and that there are four thematic areas which have been established to formulate priority areas for allocation of the grant funding:

·         Children and Young People – preventing holiday hunger.

·         Energy costs – delivering urgent and proactive support.

·         Housing – supporting sustainable tenancies.

·         Crisis Support – providing a prompt response and signposting to wider support.