Content

11.1

The Director of Policy and Democratic
Engagement submitted a report providing an update on the cross-city
Cost of Living response, including the Winter Plan. It also
provides an update on plans to spend a previously ringfenced fund
from the Household Support Fund (delegated to the Director of
Communities) and sets out the approach that responds to recent Full
Council motions.

 

 

11.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That
Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

 

 

 

(a) notes the approach outlined in this report
that responds to recent relevant Full Council motions;
 
(b) notes the report’s update on amounts
previously ringfenced from the Household Support Fund and the plan
to allocate amounts that are now available to the application
scheme; and
 
(c) approves the adjusted ring fenced spend,
as detailed in the report,  and notes it as being consistent with the
delegation to the Director of Communities in the 12 July 2023
Strategy and Resources Committee report.
 

11.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

11.3.1

The recommendations build on the commitments
made by the Strategy and Resources Committee on 31 May 2022 and 5
June 2022 and 12 July 2023 to support Sheffielders through the Cost
of Living crisis. Working with communities and partners
across the city, the recommendations ensure that SCC will continue
to play a leading role through the strategic and tactical
incident-type response.

 

 

11.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

11.4.1

Allocate the ringfenced amount to another
aspect of the response. This was dismissed as it would not address
the risks associated with increased demand for the application
scheme and it would not help us to meet the objectives of the Full
Council motions.

 

 

11.4.2

Target the ringfenced amount to specific
groups. Dismissed, as outlined above because we were unable to
obtain information that would allow us to make the targeted
payments and people in this group are able to make an application
for the household support fund.