Purpose

To accept the funding allocation from
Lincolnshire County Council as part of the Department for Work and
Pension's Household Support Fund 1 April 2024 - 30 September 2024
to deliver the scheme at a local level

Decision

To accept the funding allocation from Lincolnshire
County Council as part of the Department for Work and
Pension’s Household Support Fund 1 April 2024 – 30
September 2024 to deliver the scheme at a local
level.This is an indicative total of
£222,956 for South Holland.
To
give delegated authority to the Assistant Director (Wellbeing &
Community Leadership) in consultation relevant Portfolio Holders to
implement the policy in respect of administration and local
distribution of the funding.
To
utilise local allocation to meet local need and support vulnerable
households in-line with the Household Support Fund grant
conditions:

50% allocated via
grant donation to Lincolnshire Community Foundation to administer
public facing application-based scheme to provide crisis support to
vulnerable households in most need with the cost of
essentials
40% allocated via
grant donation to local food banks, charities, NHS Neighbourhood
Teams to support clients, patients and residents
5% allocated to South
& East Lincolnshire’s Home Energy Advice & Retrofit
Team (HEART) to support vulnerable households with energy
vouchers
5% to support the
administrative and staff costs

Reasons for the decision

Accepting access to this local allocation of
Government funding will ensure the Council can support residents in
the most need with household essentials.

 

Previous HSF rounds have been successfully delivered
by this model. Relationships with delivery partners and mechanisms
are now well established with learning taken from previous funding
rounds.

 

Working with third sector organisations with reputable record of
delivering grants and emergency support to residents in need
ensures as vulnerable households as possible are identified,
engaged and supported.

Alternative options considered

·      
Do nothing
and decline the grant. The grant is paid in arrears and there is no
requirement to draw down the funding. To not utilise the funding
would be detrimental to households at a time when many continue to
experience financial pressures and is not considered an
option.

·      
To
administer the application-based scheme in-house. Due to limited
capacity and timescales this is not recommended. S&ELCP have an
established relationship with Lincolnshire Community Foundation to
deliver local grants. They are a reputable Lincolnshire based
grant-maker with the network and experience to efficiently deliver
public-facing schemes.