Purpose

Further to the provisions of
minute 47(2) of the Cabinet meeting of 20th September
2022, to determine revised and final allocations for the Household
Support Fund to achieve full spend of the grant.

Decision

 

ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION

 

Date of Decision:

24th April
2023
 

Title:

Household Support Fund October
2022 to March 2023, final allocations
 

Decision Maker:
(Including Job
Title)

Jo Brown
Assistant Chief
Executive
 

Details of Specific Cabinet
Delegation
or Delegation contained in the
relevant Sub-Scheme of Delegation.
 

At the meeting on
20th September 2022 Cabinet considered how its
allocation from the Household Support Fund (HSF) should be deployed
between October 2022 and March 2023. Cabinet resolved
that:
Unless the final grant is
substantially different from the
estimate, to delegate authority to the Assistant Chief
Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social
Inclusion, to determine revised and final allocations for the
Household Support Grant to include provision for other eligible
actions within the use of HSF should it not be possible to achieve
full spend of the grant through the approved options.
 
Provisional allocations of the
Household Support Fund Grant of £2.489m were as
follows:
·      
£899k for food vouchers to children eligible
for free school meals for school holidays up to and including
Easter 2023.
·      
£1.4m to support applications from households
for assistance with cost-of living increases through the
Council’s Energy Crisis Support Scheme.
·      
£45k allocation to support care leavers, being
young people leaving foster or local authority care and living
independently in their own accommodation who are responsible for
paying their own utility bills, providing additional financial
support through the cost-of-living increases.
·      
£30k to support local VCS organisations to
support vulnerable households over Christmas / New year through a
supplement to the Crisis Support service level
agreement.
·      
£90k to provide additional tinned food to
supplement that available for crisis food parcels provided by local
food banks and Community Food Members alongside assisting with
supplies to social supermarkets, a supplement to the Crisis Support
service level agreement.
·      
£25k to provide additional non-food products
for inclusion in crisis food parcels covering personal hygiene,
sanitary and household products.
 
Actual spend at the end of
March 2023 shows that the HSF programme as a
whole has fully spent the allocation. This included the
following variances to the projected spend:
·      
Food vouchers to children eligible for free school
meals increased from £899k to £924,360.
·      
Christmas food hampers increased for £30k to
£44k.
·      
Contribution to the Council energy grant scheme
reduced from £1.4m to £1,360,670.
 

Decision:

Agree the following final
allocations of HSF spend for the period October 2022 to March
2023:
1.    
£924,360 for food vouchers to children
eligible for free school meals for school holidays up to and
including Easter 2023.
2.    
£1,360,670 to support applications from
households for assistance with cost-of living increases through the
Council’s Energy Crisis Support
Scheme.
3.    
£45,000 allocation to support care leavers,
being young people leaving foster or local authority care and
living independently in their own accommodation who are responsible
for paying their own utility bills, providing additional financial
support through the cost-of-living
increases.
4.    
£44,000 to support local VCS organisations to
support vulnerable households over Christmas / New year through a
supplement to the Crisis Support service level
agreement.
5.    
£90,000 to provide additional tinned food to
supplement that available for crisis food parcels provided by local
food banks and Community Food Members alongside assisting with
supplies to social supermarkets, a supplement to the Crisis Support
service level agreement.
6.    
£25,000 to provide additional non-food
products for inclusion in crisis food parcels covering personal
hygiene, sanitary and household products.
 

Reasons for the
Decision:

To agree allocation of
final spend of HSF funding.

 Details of alternative options considered and
rejected:

This decision covers actual
spend at the out-turn on the funding
period. There are no alternatives.

Conflicts of interest
declared by any Cabinet Member consulted by the decision maker
which relates to the decision:

No conflicts of
interest.
 
Cabinet Member for Social
Inclusion consulted.

Dispensations
Granted:
(If any)

None.

Reports or parts of
reports considered

Household Support Fund October
2022 – March 2023, report to Cabinet, 20th September
2022.

 
I
certify that this is a true record of the executive decision
to:
 
Agree the following final
allocations of HSF spend for the period October 2022 to March
2023:
1.    
£924,360 for food vouchers to children
eligible for free school meals for school holidays up to and
including Easter 2023.
2.    
£1,360,670 to support applications from
households for assistance with cost-of living increases through the
Council’s Energy Crisis Support Scheme.
3.    
£45,000 allocation to support care leavers,
being young people leaving foster or local authority care and
living independently in their own accommodation who are responsible
for paying their own utility bills, providing additional financial
support through the cost-of-living increases.
4.    
£44,000 to support local VCS organisations to
support vulnerable households over Christmas / New year through a
supplement to the Crisis Support service level
agreement.
5.    
£90,000 to provide additional tinned food to
supplement that available for crisis food parcels provided by local
food banks and Community Food Members alongside assisting with
supplies to social supermarkets, a supplement to the Crisis Support
service level agreement.
6.    
£25,000 to provide additional non-food
products for inclusion in crisis food parcels covering personal
hygiene, sanitary and household products.
 
Signed by the Decision Maker  
 
Dated:         
24th April 2023
 
Name:
                  

 
 
         
Job
Title:    Assistant Chief Executive