COVID Winter Grant Scheme

The request was successful.

David Butterfield

1. How did you distribute the COVID Winter Grant to vulnerable families, i.e. cash, food parcels or retail supermarket vouchers?
2. Did you use this grant to distribute financial support to families of children eligible for Free School Meals?
3. How many children were eligible for Free School Meals and how many children claimed financial support via the grant scheme?
4. Did you use the grant to distribute support to other vulnerable families / individuals and if so, which groups, i.e. homeless etc.?
5. If using supermarket vouchers
(a) which supplier(s) did you use to distribute the vouchers?
(b) how did you choose a supplier?
(c) what were your top 3 mandatory requirements for the service?
(d) did you coordinate the ordering to all beneficiaries/recipients, or was access delegated to schools to administer and order?
(e) did you enter into a direct contract with the supplier or call off via a framework?
(f) when does your contract end?
6. Following Government's extension of the COVID Winter Grant, will you continue to fund Free School Meal vouchers in May half-term and summer holidays?
7. Which role(s) and job functions manage the contract for this service?

FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

RE: Your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Case Reference: RFI 3913

Dear David Butterfield

Thank you for your email.

It will be treated as a request within the meaning of the Act: this means that we will send you a full response within 20 working days, either supplying you with the information which you want, or explaining to you why we cannot supply it.

If we need any further clarification or there is any problem we will be in touch.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team
Customer Relations and Information Governance
Compliance and Assurance Service
Cheshire West and Chester Council

Tel: 0300 123 8 123 (Customer Contact Centre)
Email: [email address]
Visit: www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Cheshire West and Chester Council is committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection. To learn more about how we handle your personal information when you contact the Council’s Data Protection and Compliance Team, please see our Advice, Enquiries and Complaints Privacy Notice on the Council's website or ask for a copy of the notice to be sent to you.

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FOI West, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Dear David Butterfield,

Thank you for your request for information of 28th April 2021 which has been logged as RFI 3913 and has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We confirm that Cheshire West and Chester Council holds information relating to your request.

For the purpose of clarity your request has been reproduced and answers appended below each question:

1. How did you distribute the COVID Winter Grant to vulnerable families, i.e. cash, food parcels or retail supermarket vouchers?

Funds were issued via faster payments direct into customer's bank accounts.

2. Did you use this grant to distribute financial support to families of children eligible for Free School Meals?

Yes

3. How many children were eligible for Free School Meals and how many children claimed financial support via the grant scheme?

In Cheshire West and Chester 8,730 children were eligible for income related Free School Meals however the Council supported a total of 13,414 children due to extended funding criteria.

4. Did you use the grant to distribute support to other vulnerable families / individuals and if so, which groups, i.e. homeless etc.?

The grant was also used to distribute support to vulnerable families/individuals through items such as white goods or flooring on a case by case basis based on individual circumstances. Specific groups were not targeted so this data is not held.

5. If using supermarket vouchers

Supermarket vouchers were not used so the following questions are not applicable

(a) which supplier(s) did you use to distribute the vouchers? n/a
(b) how did you choose a supplier? n/a
(c) what were your top 3 mandatory requirements for the service? n/a
(d) did you coordinate the ordering to all beneficiaries/recipients, or was access delegated to schools to administer and order? n/a
(e) did you enter into a direct contract with the supplier or call off via a framework? n/a
(f) when does your contract end? n/a

6. Following Government's extension of the COVID Winter Grant, will you continue to fund Free School Meal vouchers in May half-term and summer holidays?

Free School Meals will not be replaced with vouchers, however the Council is reviewing how to support schools over May half-term, with funding based on the number of pupils entitled to income related Free School Meals.

7. Which role(s) and job functions manage the contract for this service?

The scheme was administered within the Revenues and Benefits service of the Council known as the Transactional Service Centre.

The Council considers that your request has been answered in full by either confirming that information is not held, providing you with the information requested, or explaining why any information has been withheld and the reasons for any redaction. Where applicable, the Council has also told you the reasons for the delay in responding to your request.

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled you can request a review by writing to the Disclosures Team within 40 working days from the date of the Council’s response.

You are entitled to a review by the Council if:
• You are dissatisfied with the Council’s explanation of why the application was not dealt with within the 20 working day time limit.
• All the information requested is not being disclosed and you have not received an explanation why some information is not being disclosed.
• A reason for the disclosures under the request being refused is not received.
• You consider that exemptions have been wrongly applied, and/or
• You consider that a fee has been wrongly applied.

Please set out your grounds for seeking a review together with what specific part of your request those grounds apply to and the outcome you are seeking. The Council reserves the right to ask you for clarification of the grounds for your review request if the grounds are not clear, and to delay commencing the review if such grounds are not provided.

The Disclosures Team can be contacted by email via: [Cheshire West and Chester Council request email] or at the following address:

Disclosures Team
Cheshire West and Chester Council
4 Civic Way
Ellesmere Port
CH64 0BE

The Disclosures Team will acknowledge a request for an internal review within 5 working days and complete the review as soon as possible and no later than 40 working days from receipt of the request.

More information about the Council’s internal review process can be found via:

http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk...

If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your review, you have a right of appeal to the Information Commissioner at:

The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk

There is no charge for making an appeal.

Yours sincerely

Disclosures Team – Customer Relations and Information Cheshire West and Chester Council
Tel: 0300 123 8 123
Email: [email address]
Location: Cheshire West and Chester Council, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port CH65 0BE
Visit: cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
FD

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David Butterfield

FAO Disclosures Team

Hello,

Thank you for your prompt response which is hugely appreciated.

Best regards,

David Butterfield
Managing Director