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Under the Executive report dated 16 May 2024 it was
agreed to utilise any underspend in the HSFE programme to fund food
banks and organisations to support families and individuals
suffering from financial hardship due to the cost-of-living crisis
as a result of an underspend from the Household Support Fund
programme.

Current projections for spend are as
follows:

 

Forecast

Actuals

Difference

Pillar 1 – Holiday Food Support

2,208,600

1,602,449

(606,151)

Pillar 2 – Financial Aid Support

224,000

238,300*

(346,482)*

122,482

Administration

129,982

128,611

1,371

Underspend

283,787

 

 

 

As of 17 September 2024, North Northamptonshire
Council has made £283,300 worth of payments for Financial Aid
Support, and officers are predicting a total of £346,482 by
the close of processing.  Therefore, some of the FSM
underspend (unredeemed vouchers) (£122K) has already been
allocated to the increased financial Aid Support claims to ensure
all eligible claims can be supported.

This will leave a predicted £283,787
underspend.

The Daylight Centre, which holds the funds for the
Council for food banks to draw down, has reported an excess of
funding still being held by them and other organisations from the
previous iterations of the fund.

Therefore, the recommendation is to continue to use
The Daylight Centre to distribute any underspend from this current
round, but to purpose the funding slightly differently.

In addition to being available to food banks for
their usual operations, the proposal is to use the funding, via
Daylight, for Warm Spaces or other community organisations offering
food/meals during the winter period and /or offering Christmas
meals between 1 December to 31 January.

Furthermore, for food banks and other organisations
who provide residents with a hamper of store cupboard
items.

Additionally, to recommend the continued support of
the Emergency Infant Feeding programme through a limited number of
food banks which support this programme, in line with the WHO
guidance.