Decision details

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED to:

1.    Approve the overall approach to the delivery of the Household Support Fund extension including the spend proportions and areas of focus.  

2.    Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Place,Economy and Communities, in consultation with the Executive Director for Corporate Resources and the Cabinet Members listed above, to finalise the detailed arrangements for all aspects of the scheme within the guidelines of the scheme and up to the grant determination limit of £3.65m. 

The grant is flexible, and we have targeted it at the areas that we consider to be the greatest need. 

A number of options for delivery were explored:  

Option 1 

Continue with the exiting arrangements for elements of the scheme including delivery by Cambridgeshire County Council for pensioner elements.  This option would not facilitate the direction of travel for the council in terms of shared services coming to an end and also would not yield the efficiencies set out in the report meaning that more of the fund would be spent on administration – therefore this option has been discounted.  

Option 2  

Do not draw down the funding or deliver any of the elements of the scheme, due to the adverse impact on households who are experiencing financial hardship as well as the preventative effect this funding will have in other areas of our residents' lives such as impact on children’s learning and wellbeing, mental health and wider health issues this option has been discounted.  

Option 3  

Deliver the full funding through free school meals or through a larger application-based voucher scheme.  The 3 elements of the Peterborough HSF have been developed over the last 18 months through the learning of what works and how to target different sections of our residents, the model described in this report is the most balance and therefore option 3 has been discounted.  

None.

N/A