Purpose

LBTH is
responsible for disseminating central government funding relating
to the Household Support Fund (HSF). This Cabinet paper seeks to
determine the methods for the disbursement of these funds and sets
out target cohorts for direct resident support.

Content

DECISION
 

1.    
Note the Household Support Fund tranche 7 delivery plan as
agreed and submitted to the DWP on 2nd July 2025.
 

2.    
Agree the methods of delivery for the HSF
programme.
 

3.    
Approve the disbursement of HSF funds to residents where they
constitute a grant.

 

4.    
Authorise the Director of Customer Services to make
appropriate arrangements and enter into all necessary agreements to
ensure the disbursement of HSF funds to residents in accordance
with this report.

Reasons for the decision

Central government
provides funding to deliver the Household Support Fund (HSF) from
the Department for Work and Pensions to support with the cost of
living. HSF delivery has a number of criteria, must be delivered to
certain strict timescales, and will require the dissemination of
grants.
 
DWP guidance on
the allocation of the Household Support Fund requires LBTH
‘to complete a delivery plan to outline their intentions for
The Fund, clearly setting out their priorities and approach for use
of the Fund, and to demonstrate the ways in which they intend to
allocate their funding.’
 
The Household
Support Fund delivery plan is agreed in conjunction with the Mayor
and submitted to DWP prior to allocation, but legal comment
outlines that payments to residents will constitute a grant and
therefore will require formal approval.
 
The grant is
time-limited; funds must be spent by 31st March 2026, and
winter-focused provisions must have funding allocated in time for
effective project delivery, making approval of this paper
urgent.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing –
failure to approve a distribution method will prevent the council
from delivering the Household Support Fund programme in time,
requiring the Council to return unspent funds to DWP.