This report provides an update on the delivery and take-up of the Household Support Fund scheme between April 2023 and March 2024, and the Household Support Fund scheme currently being delivered between April and September 2024.

The Committee received an update on the delivery and take-up of the Household Support Fund scheme between April 2023 and March 2024, and the Household Support Fund scheme currently being delivered between April and September 2024.

The report explained that the grant was funded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to help families and vulnerable individuals who struggled to pay for basic living costs, such as energy and water, food and wider essentials.  The funding received to deliver support between April 2023 and March 2024 was the fourth round of Household Support Fund money provided to local authorities and was commonly referred to as HSF4.  Each round of funding had only been confirmed as the end of the previous round years, creating significant uncertainty, and preventing long term planning.  For HSF4, the Council received £2,261,298 of funding to cover support to residents between April 2023 and March 2024.  Unlike the previous three HSF rounds, which were for periods of six months, the utilisation of this funding needed to be managed successfully to provide support to residents throughout the year. 

The report explained that the utilisation of the HSF grant over the year had been focused on two main elements.  First as an application-based scheme that was is agile and flexible enough to meet the specific needs of local people who were in desperate need of cost-of-living support.  The second was automatic support through an allocation scheme to low-income households with children in receipt of Pupil Premium/Free School Meals and older people in receipt of Housing Benefit who do not receive the direct government support provided to recipients of other DWP benefits.  In addition, some funding was also made available via Public Health to local community-based organisation providing direct cost-of-living support to residents.

The report noted that on 6 March 2024 as part of the Spring Budget it was announced that the Household Support Fund was to be extended for a further six months to October 2024.  Guidance for the current round of the Household Support Fund beginning on 1 April 2024 was issued on 26 March 2024 and confirmed that the Council would receive £1,130,648.94 to deliver support between 1 April and 30 September 2024.  The guidance from DWP stated that this Household Support Fund allocation was considered an extension to the previous four Household Support Fund schemes. Therefore, the same principles as laid down for the delivery of HSF 4 had been followed for HSF 5.  Any underspends from the previous scheme cannot be carried forward.

The report explained that the HSF 5 allocation must be spent between April and September 2024.  However, the guidance was only released in late March and within the pre-election period for the local elections.  In order to avoid delay and risk not utilising the allocated funds in full within the required timescales, an Officer Decision Notice for the delivery HSF5 was taken on 19th April 2024.  Specifically, this included the following Cost of Living support:

·         Vouchers for Pupil Premium Free School Meal households

·         Vouchers for Care Leavers

·         Funding to local VCS organisations directed by Public Health

·         An application element focused on local priority residents

As with the previous Household Support Fund scheme, up to 10% of the funding would be available for contingency and administration costs.

Resolved –

(1)       That the utilisation of the Household Support Fund grant from DWP during 2023/24 be noted;

(2)       That the arrangements for the utilisation of the Household Support Fund grant from DWP between April and September 2024 be endorsed;

(3)       That the Assistant Director for Policy and Performance, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Corporate Services and Resources and the Director of Finance, be delegated to make arrangements for any further funding rounds of the Household Support Fund.