The Executive Head – Customer Services to present a progress report on the rationalisation of the various discretionary welfare funds administered by the Council.

The Mayor and the Executive Lead for Planning Transport and Housing to answer Board’s questions.

The Board received an update on the progress that had been made in rationalising the discretionary welfare funds which were available to the Council.  It was noted that officers from across the authority had worked to ensure that there were effective schemes in place to make best use of the limited resources available to the Council to ensure that local people could be helped in times of crisis.

Further to the Review of Priorities and Resources in January 2016, the Executive Head – Customer Services to present a progress report on the rationalisation of the various discretionary welfare funds administered by the Council.

The Mayor and the Executive Lead for Customer Services to answer Board’s questions.

Following consideration of proposals in relation to the Social Fund during its Review of Priorities and Resources in January 2016, the Board received an update report on the work that had been undertaken for the Council to make best use of discretionary welfare funds.

The Board heard details of the new Deposit Bond and Crisis Support Loan Schemes and how these worked alongside the Discretionary Housing Payment Scheme.  The Deposit Bond Scheme was due to launch on 1 August 2016 with the Crisis Support Loan Scheme having been operational since 1 May 2016.

It was noted that Children’s Services Section 17 payments were still largely made in isolation to the other discretionary welfare schemes.  The Executive Lead for Children’s Services assured the Board that he would make every effort to remove the duplication around the Section 17 payments.  The Executive Head – Customer Services explained that he hoped to make use of monitoring software to avoid duplication of applications although careful consideration would need to be given to data protection.

Resolved:  that the excellent response of the Executive Head – Customer Services and his team to reconfiguring the discretionary welfare funds to make best use of reducing resources be congratulated and that a further update report be presented in nine months time.