Decision details

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance has noted that as part of its response to COVID-19 the Government provided Local Authorities with £500m of new grant funding in 2020-21, to support economically vulnerable people and households in their local area.  Stockport Council was allocated £2,462,460 of this grant funding.

The expectation was that most of the hardship fund would be used to provide council tax relief using discretionary powers under s13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

The Government also recognised that some Councils would want to use some of the funding to deliver increased financial assistance outside the council tax system through Local Welfare or similar schemes. 

Details of how the grant funding was allocated and spent during 2020-21 is set out at paragraph 1.6 and 4.1 of the attached report.  The eligibility criteria for both the Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Scheme and Humanitarian Aid Grant are described at paragraphs 2.1 and 3.3.

Plans for allocating the funding underspend during 2021/22 are covered at paragraph 5.1 along with recommendations for changes to the current eligibility criteria for the Council Tax Hardship Scheme 2021-22.

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance has then:-

·         Approved the plans for allocating the balance of 2020-21 COVID-19 Hardship Funding during 2021-22 as described at paragraph 5.1 of the attached report

·         Noted the changes to the Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Fund set out in paragraph 5.4.

·         Noted the need for funding allocations to remain fluid so that balances can be moved to support demand where appropriate, subject to close monitoring.

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