Purpose

The purpose of this decision is
to outline the use of the HSF funding for 2025/26.

Content

1.   
Approved the allocation of the Department for Work
and Pensions’ Household Support Fund of £4,192,375.64
for the period 1st April 2025 – 31st
March 2026 as follows:
 
1.1.Targeted
payments to support households with children who are eligible for
the pupil premium or early years pupil premium (up to
£1.9m).
 
1.2.Targeted
payments to support care leavers, households supported by the nil
recourse to public funds teams, households in temporary
accommodation in hotels (up to £0.27m).
 
1.3.Provided
resources for discretionary hardship provision to support
vulnerable residents towards essential costs and wider essential
costs via the Emergency Support Scheme, including the
administration of the scheme (up to £1m).
 
1.4.Provided
resources to increase capacity of the Welfare Rights Service and
Money Advice Teams, and to fund a continuation of Advice Outreach
throughout the borough (£1.05m).
 
1.5.As part of the
allocation detailed in 1.14, awarded the following direct grants
(total £211,040) to continue Advice Outreach throughout the
borough:
• £104,136 to Greenwich Citizens Advice Bureau
(company registration number 03346379)
• £94,808 to Greenwich Housing Rights (company
registration number 01874645)
• £12,096 to Greenwich Cooperative Development Agency
(registered society number RS007029)
 
1.6.Noted that the
administrative costs for disbursement and management of the fund
will use the remaining balance of the fund.
 
1.7.Noted that the
funding will enable the RBG run advice hubs to continue at the
weekly hub locations of The Forum, St Marys in Eltham and
Glyndon.