Issue - meetings

This report sets out:  a recommended scheme for Local Welfare Assistance payments in 2015/16, amending the current local scheme; changes to funding arrangements in Brent for the scheme in 2015/16 and beyond which will require decisions about whether to continue to provide a scheme in future years after government funding has been exhausted; a recommendation to fundamentally review the scheme for 2016/17; and the financial impacts of the recommended Local Welfare Assistance Scheme for Brent and our residents.

(i)         that the current Local Welfare Assistance scheme objectives and structure be retained into 2015/16, but with amendments to scheme criteria designed to ensure that support is targeted at those most in need; (as described in Option 2 set out in the table in paragraph 5(1) of the report);

(ii)q     that the underspend in Local Welfare Assistance scheme payments in 2013/14 and the forecast underspend in 2014/15 be ring-fenced to provide a Local Welfare Assistance scheme for at least the next two years;

(iii)       that the Local Welfare Assistance scheme be fundamentally reviewed during 2015 with a revised scheme to be implemented in April 2016;

(iv)       that the content of the Equalities Analysis as set out in Appendix C be noted.

The report from the Strategic Director, Regeneration and Growth set out a recommended scheme for Local Welfare Assistance payments in 2015/16. It proposed amendments to the current local scheme and changes to funding arrangements in Brent for the scheme in 2015/16 and beyond. It also recommended a fundamental review the scheme for 2016/17 and set out the financial impacts of the recommended Local Welfare Assistance Scheme for Brent and residents.

Councillor Mashari (Lead Member, in introducing the report, recommended Option 2 for 2015/16 as referred to in the report, which involved an increase in the maximum period for a Crisis Payment award to up to 14 days subject to a more fundamental review of the scheme in preparation for 2016/17 (Option 3). Councillor Mashari drew attention to the government’s announcement earlier in the year that continued funding was to be withdrawn.  The decision to continue with a Local Welfare Assistance scheme would be at the discretion of each authority but any scheme from April 2015 would need to be funded from the council’s budget.

With the consent of the Chair, Councillor Warren, questioned why, of the £1.7m Government funding provided for the scheme, only £400,000 had been spent. Councillor Mashari drew attention to Appendix B of the Strategic Director’s report which set out a draft timetable for the scheme review for implementation in 2016/17. She also pointed out that central government misclassification in the formula by the inclusion of budgeting loans had adversely affected Brent together with local authorities across London and the UK. As a result, the initial figures from the Department of Work and Pensions made the scheme appear less generous. The council could afford to be more flexible in the coming year and any underspend could be used to continue the scheme. Councillor Mashari acknowledged that a number of successful applicants had subsequently been found to have savings over the permitted thresholds and efforts would be made to retrieve the assistance given. The administration costs had deliberately been kept low. Councillor McLennan welcomed the intention to add to the list of qualifying benefits which allow an application to be considered.

RESOLVED:

(i)         that the current Local Welfare Assistance scheme objectives and structure be retained into 2015/16, but with amendments to scheme criteria designed to ensure that support is targeted at those most in need as as described in Option 2 set out in the report from the Strategic Director, Regeneration and Growth;

(ii)        that the underspend in Local Welfare Assistance scheme payments in 2013/14 and the forecast underspend in 2014/15 be ring-fenced to provide a Local Welfare Assistance scheme for at least the next two years;

(iii)       that the Local Welfare Assistance scheme be fundamentally reviewed during 2015 with a revised scheme to be implemented in April 2016;

(iv)       that the content of the Equalities Analysis as set out in Appendix C to the report be noted.