I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information. Please may you provide me with:

1. A breakdown of the different mechanisms you have used to distribute the Household Support Fund to vulnerable families, e.g. cash, food parcels, vouchers, investment in existing schemes / services such as food banks (these are examples, not an exhaustive list)
For the HSF covering 1st October 2021 – 31st March 2022, the Council used: Cash Voucher; Direct Payment; Key Meter; Food Voucher; and Free School Meals.
For non-Free School Meals funding, the Council worked with Wokingham United Charities; Wokingham CAB; Age UK Berkshire; First Days (Wokingham); and Cowshed (Wokingham) to distribute the funding.

2. What amount/proportion of the funds were distributed through each method used?
Please note that the scheme for 1st October 2021 – 31st March 2022 set a requirement that a minimum of 50% of all funding should be spent on families with children.
Food: £267,000
Energy & Water: £188,140
Essentials linked to Energy & Water: £15,170
Wider Essentials: £10,356
Housing Costs: £460
Total: £481,126

Cash Voucher only – £1,160
Direct Payment only - £112,060
Key Meter only - £64,720
Food Voucher only - £14,620
Free School Meals - £247,750
Mixture - £40,816
Total - £481,126

3. Have you evaluated the success or benefits of specific methods used to distribute funds and if so, how did you do so, i.e. what Key Performance Indicators do you set?
Evaluation was undertaken through our partners via the Hardship Alliance on their experiences of administering fund distribution. This allowed us to adjust the approach as the scheme was being delivered and highlighted capacity challenges where there was a sudden rush of people and the approach being very transactional rather than supportive of those in need.

4. Have you made decisions yet about disbursement tools for current and future grants and, if so, what mechanisms are you planning to use?
Please note that the current scheme for 1st April 2022 – 30th September 2022 has set a requirement that a minimum of 33% of funding should be spent on families with children AND that a minimum of 33% of funding should be spent on households with pensioners and no children.

The Council is working with the same charities to distribute the funding. Less funding will be distributed via Direct Payments and more funding will be distributed by vouchers, as these are a quicker method of providing the funding and the new approach enables people to choose between food, fuel, or cash vouchers to meet their specific needs. Proposals for distribution of support from future funding rounds (from October 2022) will be developed once government guidance is issued, based on the learning from previous and current rounds to enable an efficient and effective approach to be developed.