Purpose

Agreement for the programme delivery for HSF7
including distribution of holiday food support for those eligible
for free school meals.

Content

RESOLVED
 
KEY DECISION
 
That the Executive:
 
a)   
Approved the proposed delivery of the Household
Support Fund 7;

 
b)   
Approved the proposal to provide:
 
                         
i.          
Children’s Holiday Food Support with an
additional payment for Christmas and Summer back to school
basics
                       
ii.          
Warm Spaces
                      
iii.          
Provision of financial support for food and wider
essential living costs
                      
iv.          
Winter Energy Support
                       
v.          
a grants programme for VCSE organisations and
community groups to support households in crisis, including energy
support, food poverty and budget management
                      
vi.          
Discretionary support including individuals who have
no recourse to public funds
                    
vii.          
Funding to undertake an evaluation of the delivery
of the Household Support Fund programme from April 2023.
 
 

c)   
Delegated authority to the Executive Member for
Adults, Health and Wellbeing in consultation with the Director of
Public Health to redistribute any funds that have not been assigned
or committed to by 31st March 2026 for:
 
                         
i.          
Final contribution for Warm Spaces
                       
ii.          
Specific funding for foodbanks to include access to
wider essentials and energy support i.e. sanitary and hygiene
essentials
                      
iii.          
Contribution to grant holders to assist with
additional pressures from the winter support
 
 
Reasons for
Recommendations:
 
a)   
The proposal in Table 3, paragraph 5.7, sets a clear
approach for how the funds will be used to mitigate the impact on
residents who have previously received holiday support for children
eligible for Free School Meals.
 
b)   
Cessation of holiday support will be aligned with
the start of the financial year given the uncertainty of any future
iterations of the Household Support Fund, making it clearer for
residents to understand the timings of ongoing support coming to a
natural end.
 
c)   
Holiday support is aligned with the previous support
provided by the Council through the previous iterations of the
Household Support Fund.
 
d)   
The provision of vouchers rather than cash to
support with food and essential costs via an online application and
eligibility assessment process, reduces the risk of fraud and
duplicate claims.
 
e)   
Financial support will be available for additional
energy costs through the winter when energy usage
increases.
 
f)     
Current frameworks, processes, eligibility criteria
and online application forms will be used with some minor
modifications to deliver the recommendations in Table 3, paragraph
5.7, ensuring support is delivered in accordance with the time
restrictions for the fund to end at the end of March
2026.
 
Alternative Options Considered:
Table 1 below outlines an alternative option which has been
considered and have been discounted due to the implications to
vulnerable families and reputational risk to the
Council.
 
Table 1 – Summary of
Alternative Option
 

Delivery Model

Summary

Rationale

Funds not claimed from DWP to
deliver HSF7

The programme ceases to
operate.

This would mean no further
support is provided beyond March 2025.
Reputational risk for the
Council for not supporting vulnerable and low-income
households.