Decision Maker: Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Reform and Regeneration
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
The purpose of the report is to request
Cabinet Member approval to allocate the Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP) £974,689 Winter Grant funding for Oldham to
offer support to residents with food, fuel and other essential
costs during the winter. The report sets out the proposed
allocation of funding. Most of the recipients of the funding will
be families with children
RESOLVED - That: the DWP Winter Grant
resources are used to fund:
•a supermarket food voucher programme for families with
children who are entitled to Free School Meals and to widen this
support to families on low incomes with pre-school children and to
care leavers over the Christmas 2020 and February 2021 half term
holidays
•additional support for the Warm Homes programme to augment
the provision of fuel vouchers to residents with pre-payment meters
and support with boiler repairs
•support for other vulnerable residents with supermarket food
vouchers over winter ( to be determined in January 2021.
Option 1: To use the Winter Grant to
fund:
•a supermarket food voucher programme for families with
children who are entitled to Free School Meals and to widen this
support to families on low incomes with pre-school children and to
care leavers over the Christmas 2020 and February 2021 half term
holidays
•additional support for the Warm Homes programme to augment
the provision of fuel vouchers to residents with pre-payment meters
and support with boiler repairs
•support for other vulnerable residents with supermarket food
vouchers over the winter
Option 2: Not to utilise the funding to provide support to
vulnerable households in this way. This would mean that funding
would need to be returned to the DWP. This scheme has a high
political profile and is consistent with the Council’s
anti-poverty agenda so this option would not be supported by
elected members
Option 2: Not to utilise the funding to
provide support to vulnerable households in this way. This would
mean that funding would need to be returned to the DWP. This scheme
has a high political profile and is consistent with the
Council’s anti-poverty agenda so this option would not be
supported by elected members
Other reasons / organisations consulted
N/A
Contact: Caroline Lee, Head of Revenues, Benefits and Business Support Email: Caroline.Lee@Oldham.gov.uk Email: caroline.lee'oldham.gov.uk@oldham.gov.uk.
Publication date: 31/03/2021
Date of decision: 07/12/2020
Accompanying Documents: