Decision details

Government funding of at least £3.7m to financially support residents with increased costs of living (grant period 01/10/2022 – 31/03/2023).

RESOLVED –

1)    That in relation to households with children, (i) to explore making an award to families entitled to Free School Meals a one-off Cost of Living Payment of £50 per child, by way of a voucher rather than free school meal support, before Christmas 2022 with a cost in the region of £925,000, (ii) to explore whether Council Tax Reduction data could be used to identify households with children that are not of school age, to include those in the cost of living payment, and (iii) the value of that payment be decided with reference to volumes and those entitled through the mechanism identified in (i).

2)    That in relation to all households, the remaining balance be utilised (i) by working with relevant partners, stakeholders, and 3^rd sector organisations and (ii) by applications for support via Local Welfare Provision, assessed on a case-by-case basis to support families and individuals in need.

3)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director (Corporate Strategy, Commissioning and Public Health) and Service Director (Children’s Services) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder (Corporate), Portfolio Holder (Learning, Aspiration and Communities) and Service Director (Finance) to agree the mechanism for how the remaining balance be used working the relevant partners, stakeholders, and 3^rd sector organisations in accordance with the grant funding guidance.

4)    That in relation to The Bread & Butter Thing, approval be given to spend c£125,000 from the Local Welfare Provision budget by way of a one-off grant to establish five further The Bread & Butter Thing hubs.