Content

8.1

The Executive Director Neighbourhood Services
submitted a report setting out a programme of actions that responds
to the findings of the Sheffield Poverty Truth Commission (PTC) and
outlines Sheffield’s approach to implementing the new Crisis
and Resilience Fund (CRF) from April 2026.
 
Andy Freeman, Sarah Clayton, Jonathan Davis
and Jessica Thompson from the Sheffield Poverty Truth Commission,
attended the meeting to outline details of their work with the
Commission. The Commission has brought together community
commissioners and civic leaders to understand the lived realities
of poverty in the city. Its recommendations highlight the need for
more humane, trauma?informed and
joined?up support, and for lived experience
to influence how services are designed and delivered.
 
This report sets out a programme of actions
that responds to those findings and outlines Sheffield’s
approach to implementing the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF)
from April 2026. The proposed model strengthens prevention,
maintains a cash first approach to crisis support, enhances
referral pathways, and embeds community coordination. It also
incorporates targeted outreach using the Low-Income Family Tracker
(LIFT) to ensure support reaches households most at risk. As part
of the transition to the CRF, the model introduces a more targeted,
preventative approach for low-income families during school
holidays, replacing the previous blanket voucher scheme.

 

 

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That
Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-

 

 

 

(a) welcomes and notes the findings and
recommendations of the Sheffield Poverty Truth Commission (PTC), as
set out in the published PTC report, and acknowledge how these
inform the Council’s ongoing commitments to prevention,
person?centred support, and service
improvement;
 
(b) notes the independent evaluation of our
existing cost-of-living support approach and the work across the
Council and partners that contributes to tackling poverty and
building financial resilience and wellbeing;
 
(c) endorses the principles of preventative
action, community coordination, and flexible allocation to meet
local needs;
 
(d) approves measures to respond to the
Poverty Truth Commission recommendations:
 

Co-create
trauma-informed staff training with Commissioners
Work with PTC
Commissioners to explore the ‘Your Story’ concept
Adopt and embed the
Brown Envelope Code across all communications to citizens
Embed lived
experience into service design

 
(e) notes the Government’s Crisis and
Resilience Fund (CRF) and approves the local implementation
framework for the Fund;
 
(f) to the extent that they require decisions
not covered by existing officer delegations, delegate authority to
the Director of Customer Experience and Communities to award grants
above £50,000 from the Crisis and Resilience Fund to support
the delivery of Ending Poverty Together;
 
(g) approves the managed transition from
holiday vouchers to targeted crisis support and financial
resilience building by end of May 2026; and
 
(h) requests an annual update to the Strategy
& Resources Committee on use of the Crisis and Resilience Fund
including financial performance and impact.

 

 

8.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

 

The recommendations ensure Sheffield’s
support offer reflects the Poverty Truth Commission’s call
for more compassionate, preventative, and joined up services, while
meeting the statutory requirements of the new Crisis and Resilience
Fund. They shift resources toward interventions proven to deliver
greater long term impact, such as income maximisation and targeted
crisis payments. This approach strengthens financial resilience,
improves access to support, and aligns with the Council
Plan’s priorities for tackling poverty and supporting
residents’ wellbeing. up services, while meeting the
statutory requirements of the new Crisis and Resilience Fund. They
shift resources toward interventions proven to deliver greater long
term impact

 

 

8.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

8.4.1

Alternative Option 1:
Maintain the existing Household Support Fund
(HSF) model until March 2026 and delay transition planning
 
This option was considered but rejected. The
HSF ends nationally on 31 March 2026, and continuing with the
current model would create a service gap, reduce preparedness for
the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), and risk disruption for
residents and partners. It would also fail to incorporate the
findings of the recent Cost?of?Living Evaluation and the Poverty Truth Commission
(PTC), which emphasise the need for a more preventative and
coordinated approach.

 

 

8.4.2

Alternative Option 2:
Deliver only a crisis?response model under the new CRF
 
A purely crisis?focused
scheme could be delivered, similar to earlier iterations of the
HSF. This option was rejected because the CRF is designed to
support both crisis response and financial resilience, and allows
local authorities to invest significantly in early intervention.
Continuing with a crisis?only model would not
address underlying drivers of hardship, would not align with the
statutory intent of the CRF, and would not reflect the
recommendations of the PTC or the Council’s wider prevention
priorities.

 

 

8.4.3

Preferred Option
Develop a prevention?focused, place?based CRF model
 
The preferred option is to design a model that
brings together crisis support, housing payments, financial
resilience services and community coordination. This reflects the
statutory framework of the CRFand builds on Sheffield’s
existing local infrastructure, responds directly to the PTC’s
principles, and aligns with the Council’s strategic
commitment to reducing poverty and improving long?term outcomes for residents.