Issue details
Award of Funding from the Household Support Fund to third party organisations
Herefordshire Council has received an
allocation of £1,329,601.78 from the Department for Work and
Pensions (DWP) under the Household Support Fund. In line with DWP
guidance most of the funding has been earmarked to support families
with children and pensioner households who would otherwise struggle
with energy, food and energy bills as well as other essential
costs. The decision to support third party organisations will
enable those organisations to support other Herefordshire
households who are struggling to meet essential household
bills.
The funding to third party organisations is an important component
of the support that is provided to low-income households. Providing
funding to third party organisations will mean that those
organisations can provide residents who are struggling with the
increase in the cost of living.
Having regard for the time available to deliver the scheme,
Herefordshire Council identified existing trusted partners which
had already been recipients of government grants to support low
income households during the Covid 19 pandemic. The partners have
also been identified based on the need to support all the eligible
spend categories specified by the DWP guidance and to provide
support to vulnerable households, across Herefordshire whatever
their household composition.
Age UK Hereford and Localities - Support for food -
£24,000
Bromyard Foodbank and Money Advice Centre - Support for food;
support for energy; support for other essentials - £22,
680
Hereford Foodbank - Support for food - £22,825
Herefordshire Community Foundation - Support for energy; support
for other essentials - £30,000
Ledbury Foodbank - Support for food; support for other essentials
-£9,870
Leominster Foodbank (including the Money Advice Centre) - Support
for food; support for energy; support for other essentials -
£21,500
The Living Room - Support for food; support for energy; support for
other essentials - £26,400
Mothers’ Union – Diocese of Hereford - Support for
household essentials - £10,100
NILS Scheme - Support for household essentials -
£20,000
Putson Baptist Church - Support for food; support for energy;
support for other essentials - £28,120
Severn Wye Energy Agency - Support for energy - £28,750
Total: £244,245
Consumer prices, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
rose by 9.4% in the 12 months to June 2022, up from 9.1% in May.
The Bank of England expects inflation to rise further to around 11%
in 2022 before levels start to fall during 2023. There have been
significant increases in the price of energy and food and this is
likely to increase with a further rise in the price cap on energy
in October 2022. Low-income households spend a larger proportion
than average on energy and food so will be more affected by price
increases.
By utilising the funding from government, this will have a positive
impact on low income households by minimising the debt burden on
those that struggle to pay essential bills.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 04/08/2022
Decision due: 2 August 2022 by Director of Resources and Assurance
Contact: Andrew Lovegrove, Director of Resources and Assurance Email: Andrew.Lovegrove@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Decisions