Purpose

The report will provide details on the
Government Household Support Fund 4 allocation for Buckinghamshire
and detail options for the usage of this fund to support
financially vulnerable residents of Buckinghamshire during the Fund
period.

Content

Buckinghamshire Council
recognised the growing pressures being faced by its residents
linked to the increases in the cost of living.  The Council had developed and delivered a range of
initiatives this year to support residents and staff in regard to
these cost of living pressures and had committed to ensuring the
continuation of its Helping Hand service to provide support to
residents who needed it most.
 
The Council was pleased to
receive confirmation of the fourth tranche of Household Support
Fund grant allocation for the period from April 2023 to March 2024,
which would be used to continue to provide essential support to
residents during the year. This built on the funding the Council
had received from Government since 2020, initially through the
Winter Grant and Local Support Grant and subsequently through the
Household Support Fund.
 
Previous allocations of the
Household Support Fund were awarded for a 6-month period only. For
the period 1st October 2022 to 31st March 2023, Buckinghamshire was
awarded £2.4m of funding from the Household Support Fund to
provide support for residents in need of help with food, fuel and
other essential household costs.
 
The Cabinet report outlined the
support the Council had provided, and continued to provide, to
support residents with cost-of-living pressures. The report also
detailed how the previous Household Support Fund allocation was
used and set out a proposed use of the new allocation between 1st
April 2023 to 31st March 2024, ensuring that this would be targeted
to residents in need of support and in line with the Government
guidance.
 
RESOLVED –
 

1)     
That the range of support provided by
Buckinghamshire Council for individuals experiencing hardship
across the County be NOTED.

2)     
That the arrangements for deploying the new
Household Support Fund allocation be APPROVED.