Purpose

Trafford Council has had a Local Welfare Assistance Scheme
(Trafford Assist) in place since April 2013 to help residents in
short-term acute financial difficulties.
 
A
public consultation was undertaken in the early part of 2024 on the
future operation of the Scheme, given the current levels of demand
and the level of resources anticipated to be available.
 
On
18 March 2024, the Executive decided that the Trafford Assist
budget of £218k, plus an additional amount to cover
administrative costs would, from 1 April 2024, be re-distributed to
the Trafford Community Hubs who are best placed to make decisions
on the most effective way to spend resources in their
communities. 
 
Unfortunately, following further consultation with the Community
Hubs regarding the operation of the Scheme it was concluded that,
at this time, they are collectively unable to deliver the
Council’s Trafford Assist scheme in 2024/25.
 
In
the interim, it is therefore necessary that the Council continues
to deliver a Trafford Assist Scheme to help with emergency food and
fuel and this report details proposals for this interim scheme to
be delivered by the Council within the funding available, supported
by the 6-month extension to the Household Support Fund.  The interim scheme sets out updated award levels
which will need to be constantly reviewed in response to government
funding announcements.
 
As
the Household Support Fund guidance has now been issued and links
in directly with the proposal for the interim Trafford Assist
scheme, this report also proposes how the Household Support Fund
will be spent, with most of the funding to be used to support
families with children who receive free school meals during the
school holidays as well as continuing the direct award support to
carers, care leavers, pensioners and households with disabled
family members. 
 

Decision

-      
That the proposals in the report for the televised
Trafford Assist Scheme, be approved.

 
-      
That the proposals in the report on the allocation
of the Household Support Fund, including if the funding is extended
from October 2024, be approved.
 
-      
That based on the urgency of provisions, it is
approved that the decision shall not be subject to the call-in
process.

Reasons for the decision

There is an urgency to ensure that funding support can be
delivered to support vulnerable households who need financial help
as soon as possible.

Alternative options considered

The
Council could have considered not having an interim Trafford Assist
scheme in place whilst it continues redistribution discussions with
the Trafford Community Hubs but that would not support the
Council’s corporate policy of supporting people out of
poverty.