Issue - meetings

Report from the Interim Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement.

Recommendations

That Cabinet:

1. Agree provisional allocations of the CRF for the following areas of activity in 2026/27:

Crisis Support

Consideration was given to the report which set out the proposals for the use of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) for 2026/27 and the broad approach to determining the best use of the funding over the full 3 years. The CRF was announced in the June 2025 Government spending  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152

Report from the Interim Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement.

Recommendations

That Cabinet:

1. Agree provisional allocations of the CRF for the following areas of activity in 2026/27:

Crisis Support

Resilience Services

Community Coordination

Administrative Costs

2. Delegate authority to the Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to determine revised and final allocations for the CRF. This will include provision for other eligible actions in 2026/27 to ensure best use of the funding.

3. Delegate authority to the Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to approve amendments to existing service level agreements and approve new agreements where required, in relation to the allocations above.

4. Agree to receive a further report in December 2026 setting out specific proposals for future years of the fund.

At the Chair’s invitation, the Leader of the Council introduced the report, reminding members of the former Household Support Fund, which had provided grant funding for cost-of-living measures, including council tax support top ups and free school meal holiday vouchers. This funding had been replaced by the Government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), with a modest increase in funding but clearer requirements on how it had to be used.

The CRF required four elements. First, year-round crisis payments had to be available for residents experiencing financial emergencies, including energy costs. Given previous demand, £1m had been allocated to this element. Second, discretionary housing payments had to be included, with a similar level of funding allocated. Third, a small amount of funding had been set aside for community coordination to support oversight, engagement and promotion of schemes. Fourth, a significant proportion of the fund had to be used for “resilience”, defined as advice and advocacy services. Existing provision had been expanded, including the Open Arms scheme and additional support for care leavers.

Commitments for council tax support top up payments were to continue to be funded through the CRF. In relation to free school meal holiday vouchers, recent changes in Government guidance now allowed provision, but limited resources meant the scheme could not continue in the previous form. Instead, a single voucher payment would be made during the summer holidays to target support at a peak period of financial pressure for families. This would replace regular holiday payments. Other support, including Healthy Holidays food and activity provision, remained in place and was being expanded.

Overall, the approach aimed to balance proactive support for those most vulnerable to financial shocks, compliance with Government requirements on resilience services, and the availability of crisis support throughout the year.

The Interim Director of Policy, Strategy and Engagement, Chris Paddock noted that paragraph 2.10 of the report set out the outcomes used to define resilience services, and members were encouraged to refer to this section, as it underpinned the distinction between resilience and crisis support and reflected the concerns raised about how resilience was defined.

The Chair invited members of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board (OSMB) to raise questions and queries.

A question was raised by Councillor Allen about whether spend under this fund would be reported separately or included within general financial monitoring. It was confirmed that expenditure would be closely monitored through existing financial reporting arrangements, with specific oversight and reporting in place where required by the grant conditions.

Councillor Allen suggested that, given the importance of the issues addressed by the fund, a separate programme report might be helpful to track progress, while recognising that the overall level of funding was relatively small. It was asked whether information could be brought back to scrutiny and Cabinet through existing processes. In response, it was noted that more detailed updates could be incorporated into quarterly financial monitoring, providing specific information on spend and any reallocation between elements. However, it was highlighted that such reporting  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132