Decision Maker: Corporate Director Children and Young People's Services
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
To approve arrangements for support to
vulnerable families for the Summer half term school
holiday.
To approve the deployment of funding to
schools, academies, colleges and early years’ providers to
provide supermarket vouchers totalling £15 per week for 1
week prior to the start of the Summer half term break.
To approve the allocation of supermarket vouchers totalling
£15 per week for 1 week for eligible care leavers prior to
the start of the Summer half term break.
To approve the allocation of £25,000 to North Yorkshire Local
Assistance Fund (NYLAF) for the provision of support to vulnerable
families and individuals who fall outside of the main distribution
of the Grant
To approve the retention of any remaining funding balance on the
Grant, after the distribution of voucher support, by NYCC as a
contribution towards Grant administration costs. The remaining
funding balance is currently estimated to be £19.5k (approx.
5% of Grant funding).
On 8 November 2020, the Department for Work
and Pensions (DWP) announced £170m ring-fenced Covid Winter
Grant funding for targeted financial support for vulnerable
households and families with children affected by the pandemic and
in need over the winter period to 31st March 2021. This was
extended on 4 March by DWP to provide support for the full two week
Easter 2021 school holiday period. A local eligibility framework
was approved by the Chief Executive under emergency powers on 26
November 2020 and the final deployment of the Covid Winter Grant
was reported to the Executive on the 9th March 2021.
On 14 April 2021, the DWP announced a further extension of the
Covid grant support for vulnerable families through the Covid Local
Support Grant (CLSG). The funding will continue until 20 June 2021,
with a further £40 million of support provided nationally.
North Yorkshire County Council will receive a funding allocation of
£337,741. The CLSG has the same eligibility criteria as the
previous Covid Winter Grant Scheme. It is proposed that the CLSG
support is continued on the same basis as the Covid Winter Grant
and supermarket vouchers at £15 per week per eligible child
are provided to cover the one week of the Summer 2021 half term
school holiday.
This decision was taken under Rule 16 special urgency and call in
exemptions procedures due to the urgency in confirming arrangements
for the May half term for families experiencing financial hardship
across the County.
None
Publication date: 29/04/2021
Date of decision: 29/04/2021
Accompanying Documents: