FOI request (FOIR-389977656)

Household Support Fund

Requested Tue 04 January 2022
Responded  Tue 11 January 2022

I would be grateful if you could please provide the following information on the Household Support Scheme as of 31st December:

1. The total amount of funding allocated to you from the Household Support Fund.

2. The total amount of this funding that you allocated to be spent on vulnerable households with children.

3. If any funding was given directly to local charities, services or community groups, the total of this amount and the names of the organisations it was given to.

4. The criteria you determined for eligibility to the scheme (for example, must be in receipt of certain benefits, have less than a certain amount of savings).

5. The format in which support from the Fund is provided (for example, voucher, bank transfer, buying items directly for individuals) and any stipulations on what it must be spent on (for example, vouchers for food or for fuel bills).

6. If those determined as eligible for the scheme were automatically provided with support from the Fund or if they were required to apply.

7. The date at which applications opened for support from the Fund.

8. The total number of applications received for support from the Fund.

9. The total number of applications that were approved.

10. If applications are now closed, the date at which they closed.

Response

1. £195,000

2. The available funds were accessible to all eligible households, not just households with children.

3. None

4. Eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be over the age of 18

• Resident in East Sussex (and resident in the Local Authority they are applying to)

• Receiving a means tested benefit - Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Income Based Job-Seeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

5. Vouchers were issued for food, a bank transfer was made for utility bills.

6. Applications had to be made.

7. 18 November 2021

8. 850

9. 753

10. 3 December 2021