Agenda item

Household Support Fund

To approve the use of Household Support Fund to provide financial support to eligible Sandwell residents.

Minutes:

Approval was sought to use the Household Support Fund to provide financial support to those Sandwell residents who were most in need this winter and to provide support to families who received free school meals with food vouchers during the school holidays in October, December 2021, February and April 2022 at a cost of £1.67 million, providing additional support for around 18,700 households.

 

Approval was also sought to provide aa sum of £123,000 to food banks to purchase food and other essential items and to include the setting up of 3 new food pantries.

 

Consideration was given to the criteria for Household Support Fund payment award and approval was sought for the Household Support Fund Policy 2021-22.

 

In response to questions raised by the Chair of Children Services and Education, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources stated that West Bromwich and Oldbury would be the towns to have the 3 new food pantries. Discussions were being held with a number of partners to identify potential venues and capacity. West Bromwich and Oldbury had been selected as there were already pantries in Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton and Wednesbury with each town in Sandwell having at least one.

 

Reasons for Decision

The Government had made available £500m to councils to support those most in need this winter during the final stages of economic recovery. This had been made available to councils earlier in October. Sandwell had been allocated funding of £3,471,442, for the period 6th October 2021 to 31st March 2022.

 

At least 50% of the total funding must be spent on families with children, and for Sandwell this was £1.7m.

 


 

Funding would be provided to support families who received free school meals with food vouchers during the school holidays in October, December 2021, February and April 2022. This would cost £1.67m and would provide additional support for around18,700 households.

 

The Household Support Fund would be administered by Revenues and Benefits. We know from our Council Tax Reduction records that there are around 21,000 households which receive financial help towards their Council Tax as they were on low incomes. These households would be written to in order to invite them to make an application.

 

Alternative Options

The Government guidance stated that the Household Support Fund may be awarded to households not currently in receipt of DWP welfare benefits.

 

This approach could be considered in future application windows after the initial window from the 5 November to the 3 December 2021

 

Agreed:-

 

(1)          that approval be given to use the Household Support Fund to provide financial support to those Sandwell residents who are most in need this winter;

 

(2)          that approval be given to use the Household Support Fund to provide support to families who receive free school meals with food vouchers during the school holidays in October, December 2021, February and April 2022 at a cost of £1.67 million, providing additional support for around 18,700 households.

 

(3)          that approval be given to use the Household Support Fund to provide £123,000 to food banks to purchase food and other essential items and to include the setting up of 3 new food pantries in accordance with the following criteria:

 

an individual who is:

·               working age

·               liable for Council Tax and or Rent in Sandwell

·               receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment & Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax reduction

·               suffering financial hardship

·               not have savings over £3k

 

(4)          that the Household Support Fund Policy 2021-22 as now submitted be approved.

 

Supporting documents: