FOI request details
Request
Subject: Household Support Fund
Reference: WBC-FOI-00438
I would be grateful if you could please provide the following information, with regards to the Household Support Fund (Tranche: 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023):
1. The total spend of the Household Support Fund as of 31st December 2022, as per the interim Management Information report?
2. The total spend of the Household Support Fund on households with a disabled person as of 31st December 2022 as per the interim Management Information report?
3. The total spend of the Household Support Fund on households with a disabled person that has gone directly to these households in the form of vouchers, item purchases or bank transfer (i.e. not provided to third parties to deliver services to support this group)?
4. For Tranche 1: Has the local authority set an allocated expenditure for households with a disabled person and if so, what is the total figure for the expenditure?
5. What data is being used to identify households with disabled people who may benefit from the scheme (e.g. in receipt of disability benefits, being provided with a care package by your local authority)?
6. What is the eligibility criteria for households with disabled people to be able to avail of support through the Household Support Fund?
7. What formats and communication channels (e.g. easy-read, audio) are being provided to ensure information about the Household Support Fund and the application process is accessible for disabled people?
Response
Full Disclosure - 22 February 2023
1.The total spend of the Household Support Fund as of 31st December 2022, as per the interim Management Information report?
The total spend of the Household Support Fund as of 31st December 2022 is £628,259.56. Details of spend proposals are as follows:
Tranche 3 - October 2022 to December 2022
Total spent
Food Vouchers for those in receipt of Free School Meals to cover the Oct Half Term& Christmas break (3weeks)
£426,898.95
Support for families with CIN, care leavers, looked after children
£312.40
Strengthening Families
£9,553.25
Wandsworth Discretionary Social Fund - top up
£191,494.96
£628,259.56
2.The total spend of the Household Support Fund on households with a disabled person as of 31st December 2022 as per the interim Management Information report?
Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 1st December 2022 approved a report on proposals for the Household Support Fund Grant. See link below for further details.
https://democracy.wandsworth.gov.uk/documents/s100043/Cost%20of%20Living%20Support%20Update%20Paper%20No.%2022-394.pdf
As at the 31st December 2022, there was no spend reported for Households with a disabled person.
3.The total spend of the Household Support Fund on households with a disabled person that has gone directly to these households in the form of vouchers, item purchases or bank transfer (i.e. not provided to third parties to deliver services to support this group)?
As at the 31st December 2022, there was no spend reported for Households with a disabled person.
4.For Tranche 1: Has the local authority set an allocated expenditure for households with a disabled person and if so, what is the total figure for the expenditure?
Yes - In the Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee report for 1st December 2022, Wandsworth Council identified 1,546 households with a disabled person, to be supported at a cost of £119,042.
5.What data is being used to identify households with disabled people who may benefit from the scheme (e.g. in receipt of disability benefits, being provided with a care package by your local authority)?
Information gathered supports an increase in low-income families with a disabled family member requesting additional help. In acknowledging the financial pressures that caring for a family member with disability brings, the proposal is to provide additional financial support to families in receipt of Carers Allowance
6.What is the eligibility criteria for households with disabled people to be able to avail of support through the Household Support Fund?
For a person to be eligible they need to be receiving: Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction Carers Allowance. Whether single working age with/without children, couple working age with/without children, single pensioner or couple pensioner, an eligible person will receive £75.
7.What formats and communication channels (e.g. easy-read, audio) are being provided to ensure information about the Household Support Fund and the application process is accessible for disabled people?
We use data to identify and provide support to those who are eligible for the scheme; Email/ letters are sent as well as individuals being contacted by phone to inform them that they are eligible for financial support through the Household Support Fund grant. As such, this does not require an application process.
Please note that our responses were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of release, and have not subsequently been updated. This information should be considered an historical record only.