Decision details

Date of Decision:

29 April 2022

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

Jo Brown

Assistant Chief Executive

Specific Delegation:

(If any)

Assistant Chief Executive Sub-Scheme of Delegation - To incur expenditure and to generate and collect income in

line with Finance and Procurement Procedure Rules and

within approved revenue and capital estimates.

Brief Description of Decision:

That subject to final eligible numbers, £177,675 be allocated from the Household Support Fund grant to provide vouchers valued at £15 per child to children eligible for free school meals during the June 2022 school half term holiday.

Reasons for the Decision:

The Government has announced a new Household Support Fund (HSF) grant that is being made available to County Councils and Unitary Authorities in England with the expectation is that it should primarily be used to support households in the most need, particularly those including children and pensioners who would otherwise struggle with energy bills, food and water bills. This grant period runs from 1 April to 30 September 2022 and totals £500m. Final grant conditions and guidance were issued on 20 April. The Council has been allocated £2,489,029.87.

This grant funding from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) follows on from Household Support Fund awarded to cover the period 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

There are significant variances to the previous grant conditions, most notably less required emphasis on families with children and the introduction of a required minimum one third spend on household with a person over state retirement age.

The revised grant conditions set out that:

·       At least 33.33% of the grant is allocated to support households that include:

·       a person who will be under the age of 19 as at 30 September 2022, or

·       a person aged 19 or over in respect of whom a child-related benefit is paid or free school meals are provided during the Grant Period.

·       At least 33.33% of the grant is allocated to support households that include a person who has reached state pension age by 30th September 2022.

·       Up to 33.33% of the grant is used to assist other households.

·       Authorities are to ensure that the grant is primarily allocated to support with the costs of food, energy (for heating, lighting and cooking), water (for household purposes, including sewerage) and other essential living needs in accordance with the Scheme guidance.

·       In exceptional circumstances of genuine emergency, the Authority may allocate grant funds to support with housing costs as set out in the Scheme guidance.

It is proposed to seek Cabinet approval for the use of Household Support Fund at the Cabinet meeting on 16 May.

Whilst the Cabinet report with recommendations including providing vouchers to cover school holidays has been prepared, a decision is required before the 16^th May meeting date in order to provide the vouchers to schools to cover the school half term holiday in June.

The estimated number of eligible children based on the summer school holiday figures is 11,845. With vouchers valued at £15 each, this equates to £177,675, subject to final eligible numbers.

The likely costs of food voucher support for the full term of the grant, including October 2022 half term would be circa £1,421,400, leaving circa £1 million available for other support.

Details of alternative options considered and rejected:

No other alternative options were considered as the Council had to make an urgent decision about how to utilise the Household Support Grant fund following Governments announcement that the fund would be re-provided for the period April 2022 to September 2022. Following the release of the scheme details, the Council did not have sufficient time to get an appropriately detailed report to Cabinet to fully agree the approach to delivery. As such an urgent officer decision is required.

The wider options for use of the Household Support Grant will be considered as part of the Council’s Cabinet report. However, with regards to this specific decision, the option was either to fund the Free School Meals for the June 2022 half term from the grant or not.

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

Household Support Fund Cabinet report, 16^th May 2022.