Decision details

·         To accept South Holland provisional grant funding allocation of £648,807 from Lincolnshire County Council as part of the Department for Work and Pension’s Household Support Fund to deliver the Household Support Fund at a local level.

·         To give delegated authority to the Assistant Director (Wellbeing & Community Leadership) in consultation with the Leader and relevant Portfolio Holder to implement the policy in respect of administration of the funding.

·         To facilitate provisional allocation £496,800 via grants to low-income residents in receipt of Housing Benefit only living in the local authority area via postal vouchers that are redeemable for cash at Post Office branches.

·         To utilise local allocation of £152,007 to meet local needs and support vulnerable households in-line with the Household Support Fund grant conditions:

o   30% allocated to Food Banks and Community Larders for the provision of emergency food parcels

o   40% allocated via grant donation to Lincolnshire Community Foundation to administer application-based scheme for households in need

o   20% retained by to meet local welfare gaps as they arise through 2023/24

o   10% retained to meet grant administration costs (including voucher transaction charges, third sector support and staffing)

·         Due to the urgent need to support struggling households with immediate increases in ‘cost of living’, delegation is required to sign off policy and procedure outside of the committee process in order to successfully deliver the local scheme from July 2023.

·         The proposed scheme is a targeted approach to those in most need with consideration of households who did not benefit from other Government ‘cost of living’ support payments as required in the national guidance.

·         Officers working with people and communities have the relationships with third sector partners supporting vulnerable residents to offer wider welfare and cost of living advice.

·         Based on experience of delivering local Household Support Fund schemes since initial launch in September 2021 and feedback from third sector partners.

·         Fulfil the Council’s community leadership role, by working with third sector organisations with reputable record of delivering grants and emergency support to residents in need

·         Not accept Lincolnshire County Council’s proposal to accept the Household Support Fund for the purposes outlined within this report.

·         To deliver through other grant and voucher providers

·         To administer the application-based process in-house.

None