Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the levels of discretionary social fund applications to local authorities over the last 2 years; what discussions he has had with local authority chief executives on the additional burdens faced by local authorities linked to the increase in the cost-of-living for residents; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities have powers to provide local welfare assistance. Following the abolition of the Discretionary Social Fund in 2013, funding is instead made available to deliver local welfare assistance through the Local Government Finance Settlement. The majority of funding provided through the settlement is un-ringfenced in recognition of the fact that local authorities are best placed to decide on local priorities

The Local Government Finance Settlement 2022/23 makes available £54.1 billion for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22

In recognition of the pressures on household budgets, the Government is extending the Household Support Fund from October 2022 to March 2023, with a further £421 million to help households with the costs of essentials. The management information for the first Household Support Fund scheme has now been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/household-support-fund-management-information-6-october-2021-to-31-march-2022.

The Government is providing broader support, with the new 'Energy Price Guarantee' saving the average household at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This is in addition to a package of support worth £37 billion in 2022/23.