The Household Support Fund; and other discretionary local welfare assistance schemes - Find a freedom of information request

Separately for the Household Support Fund; other discretionary local welfare assistance schemes (if your council has one in addition to the Household Support Fund); and the Holiday Activities and Food programme, please provide:

1. Total annual expenditure

2. Total annual number of applications

3. Total annual number of approvals

4. The type of awards made, and how many of each type of award were made

5. Demographics of who received support by family type, in the following categories: couples with children, couples without children, single with children and single without children and by age group in these categories: working-age families with children, working-age families without children, pensioner families

Please provide this information for financial years 2021-22 to 2024-25 (inclusive). If it is not possible to provide information for all the years, please prioritise the most recent years.

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1. 2021/22 £929,639 1st year of programme

2022/23 £2,643,655

2023/24 £2,696,260

2024/25 Financial year reconciliations not yet completed

2. N/A as HAF is not a grant application process for families.

3. As per the response to question 2

4. As per the response to question 2. HAF funds activities for children and young people eligible for benefits related free school meals, funding does not go directly to families.

The latest annual report for the HAF 2023/24 delivery can be found at Holiday Activities and Food Program - HAF Annual 2023-2024 Lincolnshire County Council his includes a break down of the use of the funding in as far it is possible to breakdown.

5. See response provided for question 2