Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund Grant.

DWP requires that Local Authorities provide Management Information (MI) returns to the Department which demonstrate that they have met our guidance in delivering the scheme. Local Authorities are paid in arrears on the satisfactory completion of these MI returns.

Management Information for HSF1 can be found here.

Management Information for HSF2 can be found here.

Local Authorities have been asked in the scheme guidance to support households in the most need, and in particular, those who may not be eligible for the other support government has recently made available. Local Authorities have the local ties and knowledge, making them best placed to identify and help those most in need. County Councils are expected to work together with District Councils to provide support and to ensure the funding meets its objectives by identifying those most in need.

The Secretary of State confirmed at the Work and Pensions Select Committee on 29 March 2023 that there would be an evaluation of HSF4 to understand the overall effectiveness of the scheme and how funding was spent.