Allocation of the fifth and sixth tranche of the Household Support Fund
Case reference FOI2025/00873
Received 2 May 2025
Published 28 May 2025
Request
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act to kindly request information relating to your allocation of the fifth and sixth tranche of the Household Support Fund.
1. Please provide us with a copy of the management information return you are required to provide to the DWP for both tranche five and six of the Household Support Fund.
2. Please provide a breakdown of how tranche five and six was spent:
(a) Targeted Grants (by targeted grants we mean any direct grants/proactive support given to households that did not need to be applied)
(b) Free School Meal Holiday Vouchers
(c) Direct applications to the scheme (this means the amount that was open to application, but not through your local welfare assistance scheme)
(d) Local Welfare Assistance Scheme
(e) Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations
(f) Advice Services
(g) Other (please clarify)
3. (a) If you accepted applications to this fund how many did you receive?
(b) How many applications were successful?
4. Excluding funding given to local welfare schemes or third-party organisations;
(a) Do you use HSF to provide furniture and appliances (such as cookers, fridges, washing machines etc.)?
(b) If yes, how much do you spend on furniture and appliance provision in each tranche?
5. For tranches five and six, how much did you spend on:
(a) Vouchers
(b) Cash awards
(c) Third party organisations
(d) In kind support
(e) Other
If you provide in kind support, what percentage would you estimate is spent on furniture and white goods?
Of the funds given to third party organisations, how much was given to organisations who provide furniture, white goods and furnishings?
6. How much do you plan to spend on free school meal vouchers in the holidays in 2025/26?
If HSF is not renewed/replaced, will you continue with the vouchers in future years? And if so, how will you be funding it?
7. What additional benefits could your local authority experience if crisis funding was permanent and allocated in tranches of numerous years? Would it aid planning, delivery and efficiency?
8. If the HSF was to be replaced with a long-term funding pot, what form would you want it to take and how can central government ensure it has the greatest impact on those in poverty?
Response
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act to kindly request information relating to your allocation of the fifth and sixth tranche of the Household Support Fund.
1. Please provide us with a copy of the management information return you are required to provide to the DWP for both tranche five and six of the Household Support Fund.
Answer: Please see the attached HSF5 and HSF6 spreadsheets for the management information return provided to the DWP for both tranche five and six of the Household Support Fund, as requested.
2. Please provide a breakdown of how tranche five and six was spent:
(a) Targeted Grants (by targeted grants we mean any direct grants/proactive support given to households that did not need to be applied)
Answer: HSF5 - £684,770.10
HSF6 - £432,399.90
(b) Free School Meal Holiday Vouchers
Answer: HSF5 - £749,992.00
HSF6 - £550,320.00
(c) Direct applications to the scheme (this means the amount that was open to application, but not through your local welfare assistance scheme)
Answer: HSF5 - £103,425.00
HSF6 - £143,265.00
(d) Local Welfare Assistance Scheme
Answer: HSF5 - £75,000.00
HSF6 - £75,000.00
(e) Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations
Answer: HSF5 - £525,890.00
HSF6 - £697,614.00
(f) Advice Services
Answer: HSF5 - £39,186.90
HSF6 - £39,172.91
(g) Other (please clarify)
Answer: HSF5 - £50,349.00
HSF6 - £48,865.00
3. (a) If you accepted applications to this fund how many did you receive?
Answer: HSF5 - 1,261
HSF6 - 1,705
(b) How many applications were successful?
Answer: The Service Area have advised we do not record outcomes in this format, as a single application may include multiple types of support requests. Therefore, it is not possible to provide a simple count of "successful applications".
4. Excluding funding given to local welfare schemes or third-party organisations;
(a) Do you use HSF to provide furniture and appliances (such as cookers, fridges, washing machines etc.)?
Answer: No
(b) If yes, how much do you spend on furniture and appliance provision in each tranche?
Answer: N/A
5. For tranches five and six, how much did you spend on:
(a) Vouchers
Answer: HSF5 - £749,992.10
HSF6 - £550,320.12
(b) Cash awards
Answer: HSF5 - £200.00
HSF6 - £675.00
(c) Third party organisations
Answer: HSF5 - £525,890.88
HSF6 - £697,614.19
(d) In kind support
Answer: HSF5 - £0.00
HSF6 - £0.00
(e) Other
Answer: HSF5 - £0.00
HSF6 - £0.00
If you provide in kind support, what percentage would you estimate is spent on furniture and white goods?
Answer: N/A
Of the funds given to third party organisations, how much was given to organisations who provide furniture, white goods and furnishings?
Answer: HSF5 - £55,380.42
HSF6 - £70,904.96
6. How much do you plan to spend on free school meal vouchers in the holidays in 2025/26?
Answer: Estimated £897,000.00
If HSF is not renewed/replaced, will you continue with the vouchers in future years? And if so, how will you be funding it?
Answer: The Service Area have advised internal discussions have taken place regarding potential approaches beyond this point, but no decisions have been made. Future provision will depend on the availability of alternative funding streams and local budget considerations.
7. What additional benefits could your local authority experience if crisis funding was permanent and allocated in tranches of numerous years? Would it aid planning, delivery and efficiency?
Answer: This question falls outside the FOI remit as it is asking for an opinion rather than for recorded information. However, the Service Area have advised the following:
This is a hypothetical question, and the impact would depend on the scale, conditions, and distribution model of any future funding. However, in principle, a longer-term and more predictable funding arrangement could offer greater stability, enabling improved strategic planning, more sustainable delivery models, and potentially greater efficiency. It could also support stronger partnerships and allow for more preventative approaches alongside crisis support.
8. If the HSF was to be replaced with a long-term funding pot, what form would you want it to take and how can central government ensure it has the greatest impact on those in poverty?
Answer: This question falls outside the FOI remit as it is asking for an opinion rather than for recorded information. However, the Service Area have advised the following:
Again, this is a speculative question and would depend on a range of factors including the level of funding, eligibility criteria, and how the funding is administered. That said, if any future funding were to replace the Household Support Fund, it would be helpful if it were multi-year, locally flexible, and targeted at addressing both immediate need and the root causes of poverty. Central government could support impact by ensuring early notification of funding, reducing administrative burdens, and working with local areas to co-design mechanisms that reflect local need and context.
Documents
- HSF5 - 0. Guidance.csv (1.8 KB)
- HSF5 - 1. Governance.csv (3.1 KB)
- HSF5 - 2. Spend.csv (4.3 KB)
- HSF5 - 3. Volumes.csv (1.8 KB)
- HSF5 - 4. Households Helped.csv (1.9 KB)
- HSF6 - 0. Guidance.csv (1.8 KB)
- HSF6 - 1. Governance.csv (3.7 KB)
- HSF6 - 2. Spend.csv (4.9 KB)
- HSF6 - 3. Volumes.csv (1.9 KB)
- HSF6 - 4. Households Helped.csv (2.0 KB)
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