Purpose

To outline and agree grant
expenditure against the household Support fund in
2025-26.

Content

1.         That the
following proposed funding themes and indicative levels of
allocations, be approved:

Eligible
Spending Theme

Milton Keynes
City Council Delivery Plan

Indicative % FundEstimate

Energy and
Water

?   
Voucher payments direct to Energy
suppliers.

?   
Financial support towards service charges for
Energy and Water.

10%

Food

?   
Voucher support for food.

?   
Payments to local charities for food
supplies

?   
Support to families entitled to Free School
Meals

25%

Wider
Essentials

?   
Purchase of Items linked to Energy and warmth
– E.G Heating/Bedding / Carpets.

?   
Purchase of Items linked to Food – E.G
Cookers, Hobs, Utensils

?   
Financial Support for essential costs – E.G
Travel, Phone connection, Uniform

?   
Discretionary Support to Council Tax

25%

Housing
Costs

?   
Essential support to secure tenancy following
expenditure of other funds such as Discretionary Housing Payments
and Homeless Prevention Fund.

5%

Advice
Services

?   
Allocation of funds to chosen advice
services.

5%

Preventative
Support

?   
Funding of community hubs and partnerships that
develop community resilience, wellbeing and health.

?   
Outreach campaigns that identify households that
are just about managing and signposting to support services that
will increase resilience and reduce risk of financial
hardship.

?   
Funding to local partners such as parish
councils

20%

Administrative
Costs

?   
Local Welfare Team costs in processing
applications

?   
ICT costs for data profiling to identify
households in need of support.

?   
Campaign costs

10%

2.         That
authority be delegated to the
Director of Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Cabinet
member for Resources and Customer Experience, to administer the
Household Support Fund Programme
2025/26 and to make any necessary amendments to funding allocations
to ensure that the grant is fully utilised.

3.         That the
allocation of funds be subject to quarterly reviews.