The Household Support Fund (HSF) is provided by the Government and administered by BCP Council. The fund will run until Friday 31 March 2023 and will be used to support low-income households who need help with food, energy and other essential costs. In all cases, Authorities should keep administrative costs to a reasonable level. Further information on Searchlight can be found in the Local Authority Searchlight Training Pack available in the Searchlight folder on Glasscubes (the LA/DWP online collaboration tool). 83. You can change your cookie settings at any time. there is a significant gap between actual and allocated spend. How the money will be allocated. There is flexibility on exactly how this can be run, including through third parties rather than directly by the LA. 56. Table 4: Total Value of Awards Split by Category. the number of households helped should be included in Table 3 row 3 (number of households helped) column a and row 3 column b based on the information the Authority has been capturing to split the number of households helped across these categories. 111. The household support fund can be used to support wider essential needs that are not linked to energy and water, and those may include, but are not limited to, support with other bills, including broadband, phone bills, clothing and essential transport-related costs. Information for local councils on the Household Support Fund to support vulnerable households in England. An interim MI return is required by 25 January 2023 for spend for the period 1 October 2022 to 31 December 2022. 110. The provision of DWP data to Authorities is under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Department for Work and Pensions and LAs (Access, handling, exchange and protection of DWPs and HM Revenue and Customs data). As with District Councils, Authorities should make arrangements with any TPOs as quickly as possible. 103. The definition of spend includes grant funding that has been provided to vulnerable households, within the scope of the eligibility criteria, and within the period of The Fund 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. Authorities have the flexibility within The Fund to identify which vulnerable households are in most need of support and apply their own discretion when identifying eligibility. Authorities should either gather information or check existing records they hold or have access to, in order to establish whether the household includes a child or a pensioner (as defined below) or a disabled person and complete columns a, b and c accordingly. If you have any queries about the content of this guidance or use of the funding, you can contact the DWP. Therefore, a disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities: substantial is more than minor or trivial, for example it takes much longer than it normally would to complete a daily task like getting dressed; long-term means 12 months or more, for example a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection. The Chancellor spoke in the House of Commons on Wednesday, March 23, and announced that he is doubling the Household Support Fund to 1 billion, to give local authorities the support they need to help people in their local area. Table 5 relates to grant spend, volume of awards made, and households helped in relation to Vouchers, Cash Awards, Third Party Organisations, Tangible Items and Other. Shown below are some examples of how to complete the template. DWP will also continue to engage with Authorities throughout the course of The Fund and will provide opportunities to engage with the department and other Authorities to share good practice and work collaboratively. Local Welfare Assistance. It also provides the framework that Authorities need to work within and the arrangements for distribution of funding and reporting. Authorities can also proactively identify households who will benefit from support, as with previous schemes. To help mitigate this risk, Authorities should involve District Councils and other organisations chosen to administer The Fund to help identify vulnerable families, households and individuals. If we respond requesting further information, you must respond to us within 5 days or your application will be closed. It is for Authorities to decide how payments are made to recipients. 44. The Household Support Fund is being classified as Local Welfare Provision (LWP). On 26 May 2022 the government announced a further extension to the Household Support Fund. It is the responsibility of Authorities to provide the MI returns to DWP. Reasonable administrative costs. Authorities should take appropriate steps to ensure they take into consideration household income and rent liability which may be requested and reviewed as set out in the grant determination. 13. Telephone: 0191 4352088. Authorities should consider household circumstances when making a decision on how to spend this grant. 90. This can be delivered directly by the LA or by a TPO on their behalf. For audit purposes, where an Authority re-issues returned TPO funding they must confirm the following by email to the DWP (copying in their Section 151 Officer): 23. This funding covered the period 6 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 inclusive. Table 3 relates to grant spend, the volume of awards made, and number of households helped in relation to households with children, pensioners, a disabled person and all other households. 73. The total value of grant spent, the volume of awards made by the charity or voluntary organisations providing the food bank and number of households helped should be entered in Table 3 (The Authority or food bank provider will need to provide the split between household composition to the best of their ability) and column b (Food Excluding FSM support in the holidays) of Table 4. Total LA spend this is the total of the above. Awards to any given household can cover several or only one of the spend eligibility categories listed above. The grants will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Authorities should also consider providing support to disabled people in their area. The timetable for provision of funding is as follows: 108. 49. 27. For the purpose of The Fund committed spend relates to grant funding that has been spent and delivered to vulnerable households even though the vulnerable household may not have used their grant funding. This will be due to insufficient funds to process all requests. Total amount provided to vulnerable households this is the total amount of The Fund that has been paid or awarded to vulnerable households. Rows 1 and 2 relate to grant awards made by Authorities (including District Councils) directly to vulnerable households, and grant awards to vulnerable households made by TPOs. In response to one of the concerns of my hon. Popular names for this fund also include; Welfare Assistance Scheme. Household support fund wolverhampton apply. This new grant will run from 06 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 and totals 500m. Household Support Fund October 2022 to March 2023 The Household Support Fund is money given to councils by the Government to help people in need of financial support. For the purposes of recording spend in the MI template, if an award relates to more than one of Households with Children, Households with Pensioners (in other words, pensioners living with children) and Households with a Disabled Person (for example disabled people living with children), Authorities have the flexibility to categorise and record the spend under the household composition(s) which they consider more fitting. It should not include amounts allocated to TPOs that have not been spent during the reporting period. Support which can make a quick but sustainable impact on energy costs is particularly encouraged; for example, insulation of hot water tanks, fitting draft excluders to a door, or replacing inefficient lightbulbs or white goods. Energy Bills Support Scheme and the equivalence package confirmed on 29 July 2022, Council Tax Rebate and the associated 144 million Discretionary Fund, Cost of Living Payments for those on means tested benefits, One-off 300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment (through the Winter Fuel Payment), are eligible for but not claiming qualifying benefits, become eligible for benefits after the relevant qualifying dates, are ordinarily eligible for benefits but who had a nil award in the qualifying period due to, for example, a fluctuation in income. We are providing Authorities with details of UC claimants in their Authority whose income is below the FSM and free prescription thresholds and those with Limited Capability For Work both at individual level and summary level by Ward. This is not an award made directly to vulnerable households by an Authority. 74. This fund is designed to be used to support households in the most need particularly those who may not qualify for other types of government support. Email us at ESSteam@lambeth.gov.uk giving a contact phone number and we will call you back. This is because you know that the purpose of the grant is for children and the nature of support is clothing which comes under wider essentials. The Fund can be used to provide support with food, whether in kind or through vouchers or cash. The funding is intended to benefit households most in need of support with energy bills, food, related essentials, wider essentials and (exceptionally) housing costs, in order to help with global inflationary challenges and the significantly rising cost of living. Or. Households can apply for Tesco vouchers. You have done fantastic work! 6. Therefore, if an Authority identified a group of potential claimants who may be eligible for The Fund from their own records, they can access Searchlight to verify each claimants DWP benefit entitlement (although benefit entitlement is not a condition of support). The Authority directly provides vouchers to vulnerable households as a result of the Authority proactively identifying the recipients. 38. It includes amounts paid by Authorities and by TPOs on behalf of Authorities. 45. Authorities have access to DWPs Searchlight portal which provides information on individual citizens entitlement to (and confirms receipt of) DWP welfare benefits. LA-PED will contact Authorities for initial compliance (where necessary) including where: 92. At the end of the The Fund we will also ask for a summary of spend against the final delivery plan with this due at the same time as the final MI in April 2023. An example would be the award of a food voucher on 31 March 2023 to a vulnerable household. Authorities must use their judgement to decide what legal powers and funding can be used to support individuals who are ineligible for public funds or statutory housing assistance. Well send you a link to a feedback form. Loans are for people living in Wolverhampton. If you have any specific questions about the form, please do contact us on 01428 654305 or email admin@haslemeretc.org. 17. The Household Support Fund was created to help those in need. For example, some disabled people may have increased utility bills due to the usage of equipment, aids or adaptations associated with their disability. We may need the Authority to explain why spend was so low. We will not be able to accept. The Fund can also be used to support households with the cost of food and water bills, essential costs related to energy, food and water, and with wider essential costs. There may be groups who are vulnerable to rising prices even though they are supported through these schemes, for example large families or single-income families. This funding. The Fund can be used to provide support with essentials linked to energy and water (for example period products, warm clothing, soap, blankets, the purchase of equipment such as fridges, freezers, ovens, slow cookers), in recognition that a range of costs may arise which directly affect a households ability to afford or access energy, food and water. By doing this you confirm that the Section 151 Officer has agreed the correctness of spend reported. 99. Authorities must work together with District Councils to ensure the funding meets its objectives by identifying those most in need. 124. Individuals in this group are not eligible for a means-tested Cost of Living Payment and so this data share will allow Authorities to identify them and more easily consider their need for support. For example, any application process should be easy to access and to navigate. There is a limited amount of funding available, and it is being distributed on a first come first served basis. 15. 68. the standard lookup code for your authority, The second telephone number (if applicable) of the, If appropriate the surname of the Personal/Corporate Acting Body as reported on the, If appropriate the forename of the Personal/Corporate Acting Body as reported on the, If appropriate the address of the Personal/Corporate Acting Body as reported on the, If appropriate the telephone number of the Personal/Corporate Acting Body as reported on the, If appropriate the second telephone number of the Personal/Corporate Acting Body as reported on the, use discretion on how to identify and support those most in need, taking into account a wide range of information, use the funding from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023 to meet immediate needs and help those who are struggling to afford energy and water bills, food, and other related essentials. Authorities can also use the funding to support households who are struggling to afford wider essentials, in exceptional cases of genuine emergency, the funding can additionally be used to support housing costs where existing housing support schemes do not meet this exceptional need, subject to the provisions at paragraph 30. work together with District Councils and third parties including, where necessary and appropriate, other local services. It remains at the discretion of Authorities to establish their local eligibility and identify those most in need in their area. 94. You would also allocate one award and one household supported in these sections of Tables 3 to 6. 122. Where possible, any payments made into a bank account should be in the same name of the person that is eligible for that payment. Row 3 refers to the number of households helped. The deadline for completing these returns is shown in the table below. 48. All Authorities are encouraged to ensure, wherever possible, that any vouchers issued are redeemed before the end of The Fund, or shortly thereafter, or consider recycling unused vouchers. These include for example: small IT changes, for example, to facilitate MI production. It can also be used to support water bills including for drinking, washing, cooking, as well as for sanitary purposes and sewerage. However, committed spend does not include large volumes of food vouchers, procured quite late in The Fund, which cannot be distributed to vulnerable households within the period of The Fund. who has reached State Pension age at the time of award, 70. The different elements of the MI template are shown below together with guidance on how to complete them. Essential household items (white goods, small appliances), Other essentials (warm clothing and bedding), Addition for each child in household: 15.00. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. 19. Food voucher amounts can vary depending on how many children reside in the household. https://www.gov.uk/cost-living-help-local-council. This list is not exhaustive. 65. The definition of a household with a child is a household containing any person: who will be under the age of 19 at the time of award or. By the LA or by a TPO on their behalf do contact us 01428. Spend this is the responsibility of Authorities to provide the MI returns to DWP May 2022 government. Identify those most in need Welfare Assistance Scheme provides information on individual citizens entitlement to and! Any application process should be easy to access and to navigate the of! Section 151 Officer has agreed the correctness of spend reported Support to disabled people in area! And reporting wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, your. 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