Purpose

The proposed delivery plan of the Household
Support Fund, covering the 2023-24 financial year.

Content

That Cabinet approves the following:
 
The
approval of funding of up to £945,390 to be granted to provide
food vouchers for up to 12,101 households, as detailed in paragraph
36 of the report.
 
A
grant of £100,000 to be held by the connect4communities
programme to be allocated to schools in the form of a discretionary
grant that will enable them to provide financial support to
families in need with food, generic uniform, warm clothing /
bedding or wider essential, as detailed in paragraph 42 of the
report.
 
A
grant of £150,000 is made available to Citizens Advice for
them to financially support over 500 households with fuel bills,
provide a telephone signposting service to the connect4communities
programme, offer an outreach support and advice service in Foodbank
Café’s and Community Pantries and for the provision of
energy efficient white goods where the need is
identified.  Such grant will be provided
on terms to be agreed by the Director of Children’s Services
and in accordance with the grant criteria set out in paragraph 18
of the report.
 
Funding of £55,000 to be granted to the Footprint Trust to
provide advice to households on reducing energy costs, and for the
provision of energy efficient white goods across the Island, as
well as items such as hot water tank insulation, draft excluders
etc. in.  This grant is expected to
benefit around 800 households.
 
Grants of £170,000 to be used to expand and support the
network of community pantries across the Isle of Wight, offering a
more sustainable approach to helping households, as detailed in
paragraphs 55-58 of the report.  Such
grants will be provided on terms to be agreed by the Director of
Children’s Services.
 
A
grant of £30,000 to be awarded to The Isle of Wight Foodbank
for the purchase of food, energy efficient kitchen
appliances and assisting with the
set-up of a community garden to grow fresh vegetables, as detailed
in paragraph 63 of the report.
 
It
is recommended that Cabinet delegates approval to the Director of
Children’s Services to approve community grant awards to
organisations delivering services that meet the criteria of the
grant (as set out in paragraph 18 of the report for targeted
financial support for those in need until 31 March 2024 in
consultation with the
Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and
Lifelong Skills totalling
£500,000.
 
Funding of up to £30,000 be ringfenced to
commission Third Party Organisations to provide
support and advice on budgeting, finances, maximising income as
well as accessing other help, as detailed in paragraph 70 of the
report.  Such grant will
be provided on terms to be agreed by the Director of
Children’s Services.
A
grant of £45,000 to IW Carers who support c. 800 unpaid carers
on the Island.  The grant is to be used
to support 200 unpaid carers with clothing, travel, medical
equipment, and kitchen appliances. Detail is set out in paragraph
72 of the report.
 
A
grant of £50,000 to Age UK for the delivery of hygiene packs
to 1,000 pensioners, particularly those struggling with the cost of
incontinence products and in rural areas as detailed in paragraph
74 of the report.
 
It
is recommended that Cabinet delegates approval to the Director of
Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Children’s Services, Education and Lifelong Skills, to
agree a fund of £20,000 to be used to assist exceptional and
genuine emergency cases with housing costs in accordance with DWP
grant conditions, as detailed in paragraphs 76 – 80 of the
report.
 
That Cabinet delegates approval to the Director of
Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Children’s Services, Education and Lifelong Skills to
approve the reallocation of any Household Support Fund underspend
to organisations delivering services that meet the
criteria.  This will ensure that where
spend does not meet the approvals set out in this report, the Isle
of Wight Council can rapidly adapt the approach to ensure needs are
met.