Key decision: Yes

Unrestricted

Ref: FRC01 20/21

Duncan Crow, Cabinet Member for Fire & Rescue and Communities

September 2020

Emergency Assistance Grant

Report by Emily King, Acting Director of Communities

Electoral division(s): All

Summary

In response to the continuing Covid-19 situation, the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced a Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies to support people who are struggling with food and essential supplies. The County Council’s share of the grant is £737,319. The accompanying guidance states the receiving authority can use its discretion to support those most in need.

It is proposed to introduce a simple countywide approach to ensure the funding supports those in need quickly.

Recommendations

The Cabinet Member for Fire and Rescue and Communities is asked to approve that:

the allocations from the Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies to the voluntary sector organisations set out in paragraph 2.1;

the remaining funds from the grant be allocated to customers known to the County Council as set out in paragraphs 2.2 and 2.3;

West Sussex County Council works in line with government guidance and applies the agreed criteria to support residents in hardship as a result of Covid-19 in partnership with District and Boroughs and the voluntary sector; and

the Acting Director of Communities, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Support Services, is authorised to rebalance the allocation according to greatest need in the event that the funds allocated under 2.1 prove insufficient.

Proposal

Background and context

DEFRA has recently announced a Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies to help people with the impact of Covid-19. The County Council’s share of the grant is £737,319. Given the purpose and aims of the grant, it is proposed that an early decision be taken for use of the allocated funds by reference to the County Council’s experience of community impact and identified areas of priority need related to the effects of the pandemic.

The guidance states the local authority should:

Use its discretion to identify and support those in need,

Use the funding from July onwards to meet immediate need and help those struggling with food and essentials due to Covid-19,

Use the funding to support existing schemes and other support which deliver the same outcomes and where the need is greatest

Work together with other Local Authorities and partners to provide support and ensure funding meets its objectives.

The proposals are aimed at ensuring market resilience at a critical time for the sector. This is central to the achievement of the County Council’s objectives of ensuring we can support our vulnerable residents impacted through Covid-19 who are in hardship.

Proposal details

It is initially proposed £140K of the grant is passported to voluntary organisations for distribution. £100K will be passed to the Citizens Advice Bureau to pass to residents who face hardship due to Covid-19. The support will be through vouchers for utility payments or for food and essential household supplies. £40k will be passed to Food Banks supported through the Local Assistance Network (LAN) to provide additional local assistance to residents who are in urgent need of food and essential household supplies.

The remaining grant will be will set against costs resulting from the supply and delivery of food, essential supplies and medicines through the Community Hub. It will also support costs in relation to similar provision of essential supplies and services to those residents, locally identified by District and Boroughs as vulnerable due to the impact of Covid-19 or who are known to our Health & Social Care teams. This will be administered through the Community Hub on behalf of, and in partnership with, District and Boroughs and the voluntary sector.

The following criteria will be used to assess and prioritise use of these funds

Professional referral following assessment of need

Statutory sick pay claimant (no other benefits)

New applicant for Universal Credit

Move to Temporary Accommodation (including Refuge)

Bereavement (restricting access to funds)

2.4	The relevant details will be maintained to evidence the grant is spent in line with the guidance ensuring due diligence is undertaken to manage the risk of misuse. The funds are available to support individuals who have no recourse to public funds if there are community care needs, serious health problems or there is a risk to their well-being.

Other options considered (and reasons for not proposing)

Other options for use of funding were considered when consulting with partners, such as a more direct distribution or an allocation to each District and Borough. It was agreed that the proposals outlined above offer the best arrangement to ensure that the support is made available swiftly and focused on those most in need as identified through the Community Hub work to date.

Consultation, engagement and advice

West Sussex Districts and Boroughs were consulted to discuss the arrangements for the allocation of the grant to West Sussex residents and identify a key contact within their organisation to facilitate referrals.

Finance

The funding is received as ‘Section 31’ grant meaning it has no restrictions to its application and it is not a ringfenced grant.

The funding will be distributed to the voluntary sector as follows:

£000
Citizens Advice Bureau	100
Foodbanks	40
Total	140

The remaining grant of £597K will be set against Community Hubs activities to support those residents, locally identified by District and Boroughs or known to Children’s or Adults’ services who are in financial hardship due to Covid-19. In the event that the original £140k allocated above to the Voluntary Sector organisations proves insufficient to meet demand over the period, consideration will be given to topping up from any unallocated portion of the remaining grant. This will be agreed by the Acting Director of Communities in consultation with the Director of Finance and Support Services.

The detail of the support given to residents will be reported to DEFRA as required.

Risk implications and mitigations

6.1 There is a potential risk that individuals who are not in need will request support. The procedures outlined in 2.3 should mitigate the risk.

6.2 There is a potential risk that individuals will seek financial support for hardship from multiple sources. These other sources of funding will need to be considered on an individual basis prior to distributing funds from the emergency grant. Allocation through larger and established community agencies and to individuals already known by the County Council or District and Boroughs and identified as in need should reduce the risk of multiple payments.

Policy alignment and compliance

7.1	State Aid issues will be unlikely to arise in relation to the distribution of the funds. Sums paid to individual organisations will be below the de-minimis threshold, will not benefit commercial organisations, as are being directed to those in need. No additional contractual arrangements will be required as payments will be to established partners or direct to those in need.

Tony Kershaw

Director of Law and Assurance

Contact Officer:

Emily King

Acting Director Communities,

Tel: 0330 22 23876

E-mail: Emily.King@westsussex.gov.uk

Appendices None

Background papers None