Decision details

(ACX)Approval of allocation of COVID Local Support Grant from DWP

Decision Maker: Assistant Chief Executive

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Approval of allocation of COVID Local Support Grant from DWP in accordance with the priorities agreed by Cabinet at its meeting of 10th December 2020 for the use of COVID Winter Grant.

Decision:

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION

 

Date of Decision:

 

27 April 2021

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

 

Jo Brown

Assistant Chief Executive

Specific Delegation: 

(If any)

 

Management decision.

Brief Description of Decision:

 

 

Approval of allocation of COVID Local Support Grant from DWP in accordance with the priorities agreed by Cabinet at its meeting of 10th December 2020 for the use of COVID Winter Grant.

 

Reasons    for      the

Decision:

 

 

A new allocation of £237,034 COVID Local Support Grant has been from the Department of Work and Pensions. The funding is provided for the same uses and under the same conditions that applied to the previous COVID Winter Grant. 

 

In order to ensure that the COVID Local Support Grant is spent within the permitted timeframe and the benefits realised by Rotherham families, proposals have been developed to allocate the grant in accordance with the priorities previously agreed by Cabinet. This involves extending and enhancing the established provision including food vouchers for children eligible for free school meals for the school holidays in May. The vouchers, as before, would be on the basis of £15 per week or £3 per day for each eligible child and further support for school clothing to children eligible for free school meals

The indicative allocation required to provide food vouchers for children eligible for free school meals is £193,000. This leaves a balance of circa £40,000 for school clothing support to equal the full grant allocation. 

For vouchers to be made available ahead of the 3 May bank holiday, a decision is required early in the week commencing 26 April. 

 

Owing to the need to agree the allocation of the COVID Local Support Grant within a short timescale, and there being no member meetings at this time, an Officer Delegated Decision is sought. The Leader of the Council and been consulted as approves of the recommended course of action.

 

This will be reported to Cabinet in the next financial update by the Director of Finance and Customer Services (s151).

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

 

The option considered and recommendations conform to the grant conditions set by DWP and the priorities previously agreed by Cabinet.

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

 

None.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

 

None

 

Reports or parts of reports considered

 

COVID Local Support Grant briefing, 27 April 2021.

 

I certify that this is a true record of the executive decision regarding the allocation of COVID Local Support Grant from DWP

 

Signed by the Decision Maker:

 

          

Dated:   27 April 2021

 

Name:         Jo Brown                 

Job Title:   Assistant Chief Executive

Publication date: 28/04/2021

Date of decision: 28/04/2021

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