Agenda item

That the Committee:

1.   Notes the work undertaken by the Cost of Living Task and Finish Group to date;

2.   Approves the allocation of funding of £20,000 from the Council’s Hardship Fund to Citizens Advice Worcester to provide increased staff capacity in order to manage increase in demand associated with the cost of living crisis;

3.   Approves an extension until 30 September 2022 that eligible households can draw down the 4 weeks of free school meals support previously approved via Managing Director Urgency Powers; and

4.   Delegates to the Corporate Director – Operations, Housing and Communities, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chairs of the Committee, the option to award funding of up to £107,500 from the Hardship Fund to deliver further periods of free school meal provision during school holiday periods up until March 2023, where no such alternative provision is put in place.

The Committee considered a proposal to extend the opportunity for eligible households to access the approved summer free school meal provision until 30^th September 2022. The Head of Homes and Communities presented the report and explained the background to the proposal.

In summary, the Council had previously agreed to support the extension of the provision of free school meals for the summer school holidays at an estimated cost of £215,000, which was met through the hardship reserve and approved through the Managing Director’s Urgency Powers shortly before the end of the summer term. This decision was reported to the Committee at the meeting on 26^th July 2022. Due to the tight timescales involved there had not been full take-up of the provision. It was therefore proposed to provide the opportunity to those who have not been able to benefit from the extended scheme provided by the Council to access the vouchers up until 30th September 2022 and reimburse the costs that they may have faced over the summer holidays. Any remaining, unclaimed funds would be returned to reserves at the end of September.

The Cost of Living Task and Finish Group had requested Officers to recommend to this Committee to approve funding up to a value of £107,500, which accounts for 50% of the approximate projected cost to support further provision of free school meals during school holidays, where no such provision is in place. The Corporate Director - Finance and Resources commented that the recommendation was to delegate control of this level of funding to the Corporate Director – Operations, Homes and Communities, so that it would only be used if alternative funding by primary agencies was not made available. It was also proposed that £20,000 be allocated from the Hardship Reserve to enable Citizens Advice Worcester to fund an Advice Quality Supervisor post for an initial period of 12 months.

Officers stated that, since the publication of the agenda, the County Council had received notification of continued funding for the Household Support Scheme. Full details had not yet been confirmed, but it was expected that the allocation would be similar to last time. It was understood that the restrictions that were in place for the last round of funding have been removed.

Officers responded to questions from Committee Members. Support was expressed for the proposals.

RESOLVED: That the Committee agree to:

1.    note the work undertaken by the Cost of Living Task and Finish Group to date;

2.    approve the allocation of funding of £20,000 from the Council’s Hardship Fund to Citizens Advice Worcester to provide increased staff capacity in order to manage increase in demand associated with the cost of living crisis;

3.    approve an extension until 30 September 2022 that eligible households can draw down the 4 weeks of free school meals support previously approved via Managing Director Urgency Powers; and

4.    delegate to the Corporate Director – Operations, Homes and Communities, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chairs of the Committee, the option to award funding of up to £107,500 from the Hardship Fund to deliver further periods of free school meal provision during school holiday periods up until March 2023, where no such alternative provision is put in place.