Decision details

The Council has been allocated £2.64m from the Government’s Crisis and Resilience Fund for 2026/27. This is a new fund that replaces the Household Support Fund. It is intended to support low-income households who encounter a financial shock and to support activity that builds individual and community financial resilience. This funding includes specified funding for Housing Support which replaces the previous Discretionary Housing Payments.

The new Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance was issued by Government on the 16 January 26, leaving limited time to prepare a detailed Spending Plan. Meetings and discussions have been held with the DWP who highlighted specific Household Support Fund activities; ie. one off vouchers (free school meals) have been recommended to be phased out by September 2026.

Initial discussions have been held with relevant officers from across the Council and with colleagues from the Voluntary Sector, to identify areas where the grant funding might be best targeted in line with the new guidance to meet the needs of the low-income and vulnerable residents in the Borough.

The attached report presents a three-month Spending Plan, which will enable initial funding to be provided services to deliver support, whilst a longer-term plan is developed in accordance with the recently received Crisis and Resilience Fund guidance.

There is a need to put arrangements in place as soon as possible now, to ensure the funding is fully utilised and delivered promptly. There is a need to procure free school meals vouchers in time for the Easter school holidays.

Therefore, urgent approval is sought to enable the Scheme and Spending Plan to be implemented as soon as possible.

Due to the tight timescales, discussions have been carried out across the Council’s departments and involving Voluntary Sector colleagues. This has drawn upon their knowledge and experience to deliver support to appropriate households, based upon the previous tranches of similar funding.