Agenda item

          The Cabinet Member was updated on the allocations of the Coronavirus (Covid-19): Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies.   Additional approval was also sought to enable allocation of grant funding to further external organisations.

          Derbyshire County Council had received £0.808m in the form of a Local Authority Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies, provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to support people struggling to afford essentials due to the impact of Covid-19.     Public Health had been liaising with key partnership groups to develop ideas being put forward and seek assurance that the grant was meeting local needs.

          The Cabinet Member had previously approved reports that allocated the bulk of the monies and disbursement of the agreed monies had taken place.  In response to changing needs, the report proposed a further allocation of funding to enhance fuel poverty support to people across Derbyshire and to provide copies of the national ‘Quids In’ Financial Inclusion advice magazine for distribution through foodbanks and networks.

          The original report on 4 September identified £20,000 for fuel poverty related support.  £10k already been dispersed to the Derbyshire Healthy Homes project.  Approval was sought to channel the remaining £10k to Marches Energy Advice to enhance their work with foodbanks with a recommendation to further top up the funding with an additional £22,000 from the contingency put towards this important agenda area.  Funding would have an additional focus on funding emergency support for people with credit meters.  This would complement Public Health’s holistic winter pressure support programme being co-ordinated on behalf of the system by the Community Response Unit.

          In partnership with food banks across Derbyshire, additional funding would provide emergency support on energy use to a minimum of 250 householders at a time of crisis. Key deliverables included emergency credit meter funding or pre-payment meter funding; B-Warm electric seat warmers;  3-4 LED bulbs per home; staff time to facilitate the allocation and full support through Warmer Derby and Derbyshire.  Need would be determined using existing food bank criteria.

          ‘Quids In’ magazine was a national publication giving advice and ‘top tips’ aimed at tenants and those on low income around managing money; accessing help; avoiding rogue traders and loan sharks etc.  It was proposed to purchase copies to distribute through foodbanks and Feeding Derbyshire projects twice in the coming year with Rural Action Derbyshire and the Feeding Derbyshire network.  This would be a one-off cost.  There were cost savings for buying in bulk and it was proposed to fund Rural Action Derbyshire £3,000 to purchase 10,000 copies (twice) during 2021. 

          Allocations would bring the total committed to £0.647m. Recommendations for the remaining £0.161m contingency would be brought to a later meeting for approval.

          RESOLVED - that the Cabinet Member note the information contained in the report and approve the recommendation regarding a further allocation of external grant to support provision of services relating to the Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies.