To approve the Household Support Fund allocation from the Department of Work and Pensions for April to September 2022 and the local eligibility approach for allocation of the funding for the Household Support Fund for 2022/23.

a) The Household Support Fund allocation of £1,329,601.78 grant funding from the Department of Work and Pensions for April to September 2022 is approved;

b) the local eligibility approach for allocation of the funding is approved;

c) application of the principles of local eligibility as set out in this report is approved for any further extensions of the Household Support Fund, subject to any additional guidance issued by central government; and

d) That all operational and budgetary decisions in accordance with the local eligibility criteria regarding this scheme be delegated to the director of resources and assurance.

1. Not to approve the allocation and a local eligibility framework and approach for the Household support Fund (HSF) scheme at this time. This is not recommended. The HSF is to be used between 1 April 2022 and 30 September 2022 to support vulnerable households. This is a key decision as the council will be incurring expenditure over £500,000 and it will impact on a significant number of residents within the county. Approval is therefore required for the framework and approach. Without approval, Herefordshire Council will be unable to incur the expenditure of the grant allocation of £1,329,601.78 for Herefordshire.

2. To use all the funding allocation exclusively on those identified through means-tested benefits identified through data from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This is not recommended. The guidance issued by the DWP recognises that there will be other vulnerable households who are struggling with essential household costs and that local authorities can use other data and sources of information to identify those households. Following central government’s announcement of additional cost of living payments on 26th May 2022, which included targeted support to those on means-tested benefits, the flexibility of the HSF will enable support to be provided to those on low incomes but who do not qualify for means-tested benefits.

3. To use all the funding allocation exclusively on those who are on non means-tested benefits. This is also not recommended. There are a number of constraints on the Fund which means that there is a risk of not taking up the full allocation due to timescales and ring-fencing of grant to specific household types.