Decision details

To confirm the allocation and distribution of the Household Support Fund Extension, which runs from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

That the Corporate Director Residents and Housing Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Resident Support and Culture, approves the proposed allocation of Household Support Fund (HSF) funding as follows:

A.    Reaffirms the decision made on 16 May 2025 relating to HSF funding allocations for community projects:

                                               i.     New Horizons

                                              ii.     Employment Skills

                                            iii.     Debt Advice

                                            iv.     Immigration Advice

                                             v.     Additional Food Initiatives

                                            vi.     Credit Union Support

                                           vii.     Well and Warm Support

B.    The decision made on 16 May 2025 in relation to food vouchers for residents with children on free school meals confirmed the use of HSF funding for this only until 31 October 2025. Following a review, that the remaining HSF funding is utilised to continue to provide Food Vouchers up to and including the Easter Holidays of 2026.

The Cabinet delegated the decision to the Corporate Director Residents and Housing Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Resident Support and Culture, together with any subsequent amendments. The decision taken in May 2025 left a portion of HSF funding unallocated, so a decision is now required to allocate remaining funding.

The options considered were to either reduce or remove the provision of food vouchers for residents in receipt of free school meals and instead channel funding to support crisis claims made within the Resident Support Fund. However, the recommended decision is to keep the food voucher provision at least up until and including the Easter Holiday 2026 for the following reasons:

i)               Families are already assessed to be on a household income of less than £7,400

ii)              No further application is required

iii)            These households struggle during the holidays when there is no school meal provision

iv)            The vouchers provided are an efficient and effective way to distribute funds directly to households in most need.

None.