Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Housing presented the report that provided and update on the Household Support Fund Scheme 2025/26.

One of the main responsibilities of the Cost of Living Team was to administer and distribute the fund.

The funding was provided by the Department for Working Pensions and distributed by Lincolnshire County Council, who then shared the funding between District Councils.

Lincolnshire’s allocation for 2025/26 was £9.66 million and the figure for South Kesteven was £458,452.

The Council were encouraged to emphasise more on proactive working rather than reactive.

The delivery plan for the scheme was detailed within the report and appendices.

The largest proportion of support continues to be the issuing of voucher by referral, and as of recently the team head received 134 referrals.

Running parallel to the funding, the team also identify additional support for residents in the form of general budgeting advice and financial support.

Members were able to access leaflets to provide to residents who needed support. The Council would also put on ‘pop-ups’ around the District for residents to access the help in person.

It was queried whether Lincolnshire County Council were returning the money back to SKDC. 

Up until 2024, the Council were receiving the money back the following month. This year, County Councillors had agreed for the money to be returned on a quarterly basis.

Concern was raised around not spending all the money and having to return it alongside spending the money and having to wait for a reimbursement from Lincolnshire County Council.

The Head of Service (Revenues, Benefits and Customer Service) confirmed the first half of the funding had gone to Lincolnshire Community Foundation around £46,000, and the second half would be given to them in December 2025. The treasury team were aware of this prior to the financial year.

The vouchers were sent out via a third-party company who were endorsed by the Department for Work and Pensions and all other Districts across the county. This funding was issued at around £30,000 per requirement and funding was not handed out at one go.

The management of the money of Household Support Fund was positive and the Council had an excellent working relationship with Lincolnshire County Council and all other Districts. The Council’s Welfare and Financial Advice Coordinator attended regular meetings on this matter.

Lincolnshire County Council did keep an element of the funding for preschool meals.

From 2026, the Household Support Fund would be merged with Discretionary Housing Payments, and it would become a Crisis Resilience Fund. A meeting was due to take place between Government and Department for Work and Pensions to discuss this.

It was queried whether the Council undertook any direct reporting on veterans and access to funds for them alongside how many of those were accessing support funds.

The Head of Service (Revenues, Benefits and Customer Service) clarified the correct wording for questions would be reviewed and could be included within the referral form to capture the information.

It was requested whether information on what impact the support was having and whether information on the number of households receiving support in 2024 to 2025 could be shared.

The following questions were collectively raised:

·       Data on how many residents had been supported and had not required further intervention.

·       Any evidence that the preventative and outreach work was reducing the need for the support over time.

The Household Support Fund had only recently launched, and the funding had been given to Lincolnshire Community Foundation and to the voucher providers. This figure of vouchers given out last year would be provided at the meeting in October 2025.

The amount of support was a low amount for an individual or a household and it was available to assist in an immediate situation. Unfortunately, residents seeking support tended to require it year-on-year.

Preventative measures was a new element to the scheme. The action plan would include all activities and would also be reported at the next meeting.

Concern was raised on the eligibility criteria for the Household Support Fund and what input the Council had on it.

The eligibility criteria was reviewed on a regular basis and was South Kesteven’s own criteria. The household income of £50k was aligned to Department for Work and Pensions and other benefits

The Committee:

1. Noted the report and provided feedback on the information contained in the report.