Part A: Local Welfare Assistance
By LWA scheme, we mean a discretionary service which:
• provides grants to your residents when facing a crisis (these grants may take the form of cash, vouchers or the item itself, e.g. a cooker);
• has a claims process via which a member of the public can apply for support, that is, they are not targeted at specific cohorts.
• This does not include any new Covid support schemes which run parallel to your existing LWA scheme.
These questions specifically pertain to your local welfare assistance/provision (LWA) scheme, explained here on your website: https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/benefits/local-welfare-provision/ and we require information from the period 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022.

1. What was the total spend on your scheme in 2021/22?
£3,275.70

2. How many applications did you receive to this scheme in 2021/22?
34 applications

3. How many applications were successful in 2021/22?
29 applications

4. How much was spent on the provision of furniture and/or white goods in 2021/22? This includes both cash, vouchers and the provision of the item itself.
£3,275.70

5. What percentage of your 2021/22 spend was funded by your core spending power (as opposed to additional Govt. funding provided via Section 31 grants, such as the Household Support Fund)
100%

6. What is your budget for 2022/23?
£23,170.00

7. Did this scheme pre-exist the Covid-19 pandemic?
Yes

Part B: Household Support Fund
These questions specifically pertain your allocation of the £500m Household Support Fund. For clarity purposes we are referring to the first tranche of the fund announced by the Government here. This fund was announced in the autumn 2021 and had to be spent by the 31 March 2022.

8. How much were you allocated from the Household Support Fund in 2021/22?
Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) utilised its full allocation of HSF for the period November 2021 – March 2022: £525,573.35. Of this amount £481,126 was disbursed to vulnerable households with the remaining £44,447 covering administration costs – predominantly those incurred by the voluntary sector partners who led on the distribution of the funds.

9. How much of this fund did you spend in 2021/22?
Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) utilised its full allocation of HSF

10. Could anyone apply to receive support from this fund or was it distributed based on certain criteria (e.g. eligibility to FSM)?
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.

11. Please provide approximate percentages indicating what this fund was spent on
a) Targeted direct grants to recipients of the following benefits (please specify these below)
i. Free School Meals %
ii. Universal Credit %
iii. Council Tax Support %
iv. Tax Credit %
v. Discretionary Housing Payments %
vi. Other (please specify) %
b) Additional funding for your LWA scheme (as set out in Part A) %
c) Funding for third party Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations %
d) A new scheme to which members of the public could apply for support, which ran alongside your existing LWA scheme %

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