Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director for Customers Transformation and Resources. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for  Corporate Resources and Insourcing]

To agree the Policy/criteria for access to Discretionary Housing Payments.

The Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Insourcing introduced the report which sought Cabinet to approve Haringey’s Discretionary Housing Payments Policy 2019/20 and agree to make up the £30,398 shortfall from contingency funding.

The Cabinet Member noted that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) made grants available to local authorities for Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) purposes and a report was taken to Cabinet with an updated DHP policy to reflect the new funding allocation. For 2019/20, the amount allocated to Haringey Council was £1,563,947, and this was £30,398 less than the amount allocated in 2018/19 equating to a 1.9% reduction.

The Cabinet Member was pleased to inform the meeting that the Council would provide an extra £30,398 to the DHP fund to ensure that there was no reduction for 2019/20. This money would be provided from an underspend on the 2019/20 NLWA levy.

RESOLVED

1. To approve Haringey’s Discretionary Housing Payments Policy 2019/20 (see Appendix A) as the means by which the Council will determine how the DHP funds will be allocated during the 2019/20 financial year having regard to the Equalities Screening Tool (set out in Appendix B).

2. To agree to make up the £30,398 shortfall from contingency funding.

Reasons for Decision

The DHP Policy has to be reviewed and approved every year in line with the changing funding allocated by the DWP.

Alternative Options Considered

Local Authorities can allocate their own resources to top up the overall DHP budget, however due to the significant financial pressures the Council is currently under, it is proposed to only make-up the £30,398 funding reduction.