I am after some information on the administration of the “Household Support Fund” at Wokingham Council.

1. Could you please provide details of how the Household Support Fund was administered for 2021/2022 at Wokingham Council, including (if available):
• The breakdown of the proposed and/or actual spend of the Government allocation of the Household Support Fund.
The Council spent its full allocation of £525,574 by the end of March 2022.
£247,750 was spent on food vouchers to cover school holiday periods distributed to families with children eligible for free school meals.
£233,376 was spent through the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) - see below.
£ 44,448 was spent on administration costs – predominantly to over the costs of the VCS organisations involved in managing the funding and caseload.
• Any eligibility criteria for allocations made using Household Support Funds.
• Any application forms for allocations made using Household Support Funds.
• Any internal reports or policies concerning the use of the Household Support Fund.
Information not held in that format. Funding was distributed in two main ways:
Firstly, to families with children eligible for free school meals (FSMs) to cover food costs over the holidays – a fixed amount per child / week of holiday. No application process required.
Secondly, via a range of voluntary sector partners co-ordinated by Citizens’ Advice Wokingham who triaged applications and referred to the most appropriate support available, including awarding HSF as appropriate. This element of funding was focused primarily on support with energy costs. In this context we did not promote HSF as a separate fund but rather the range of support available through the ‘One Front Door’ – this was for both referrals (including from the Council) and individual applications. See below:
One Front Door

One Front Door is here to help you find a way forward if you need it. The service was set-up at the start of the pandemic to provide a single point of contact for advice and continues to be available to provide support for you on a range of different topics, including financial hardship.

The One Front door is led by Citizens Advice Wokingham, supported by Wokingham Borough Council and delivered in partnership with many incredible local voluntary sector organisations.

No matter what problem you’re facing, the team are still here to help you access the support available, some of which includes:

• Help with rising energy costs: Advice on changing suppliers, help paying utility bills, access to fuel vouchers, energy efficiency packs, and more
• Support with accessing food and other essentials: Foodbank referrals, household item grants, urgent food and toiletries, urgent prescription collection, and more
• Support with loneliness and mental health: Referrals to befriending charities, peer support groups, and more
• Other assistance: Practical help and advice on welfare checks, benefits and debt, employment, housing, and more

Please do not be afraid to reach out for help if you need it, you can be assured of a friendly and confidential service. Contact the One Front Door on the details below, and they will take you through the next steps.

2. It may be the case that you have not yet developed a policy for the Household Support Fund Extension (April – September). However, if this is the case, could you please provide:
• Details of your plans for administering the Household Support Fund Extension.
• The breakdown of the proposed spend of the Household Support Fund extension.
• Any eligibility criteria for allocations made using the Household Support Fund extension.
• Any application forms for allocations made using the Household Support Fund extension.
• Any internal reports or policies concerning the use of the Household Support Fund extension.
Not applicable – we are still in the process of finalising the approach for the HSF for April to September. It is likely to mirror that taken for the previous funding and outlined above in terms of involving the VCS but we still need to re-consider certain aspects, including the new requirement to have a specific focus on pensioners.