Agenda item - Issues Raised by Members

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)           Written Questions:

To consider any written questions

77.1      A copy of the questions received was circulated ahead of the meeting. Responses provided are as follows.

 

(1)           Councillor Meadows - The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

Is spending £15,000 on period products a good use of money?  How do we know it's going to genuine need?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

Yes – I think it’s really important. We know that the cost of living crisis has had many damaging impacts. Many women in low income households are having to choose between buying sanitary pads for themselves or their daughters versus providing food for the family. This is a reality. We are already helping to address this through our schools and working with voluntary organisations but there are gaps that this small amount of money, funded by the Household Support Fund, not Council Taxpayers, will help to address. We work closely with voluntary sector partners to identify where need is greatest to ensure the money is well spent.

 

 

(2)           Councillor Meadows - The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

Pensioners fund: is £150,000 enough to support pensioners across the whole of the city?  How many pensioners will that support?  Why is this necessary?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

Our local campaign will dovetail with a government campaign which is targeting around 120,000 people nationally who are on Housing Benefit. We will therefore ensure this money does not duplicate that effort and focuses on both raising awareness and contacting pensioners and their relatives in communities where we know benefit take-up is generally low. Although some of the money, for cases of hardship, will be used to provide direct cash support, the majority of the money will be focused on providing contact and casework to help people apply for Pension Credit, which we know is a complex process.

This could attract hundreds of thousands in welfare benefits for many people, which are of course funded by government not Council Taxpayers. We would like to put more money into this area but we also know that demands for emergency support are currently high and therefore must balance this with retaining significant elements of the Household Support Fund for supporting child poverty during school holidays and helping people through financial crisis by topping up the Local Discretionary Social Fund.

 

(3)           Councillor Meadows - The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

Why do we need around £600,000 of support staff funding for the fairness fund?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

I am not sure I recognise the figure of £600,000. If the question is referring to Local Discretionary Social Fund administration there is provision for staffing of £116,000. Demand for the fund is high and the work is intensive as it involves an application process and considerable administration to assess each application, process vouchers where households are eligible, but also importantly help and signpost people to other support and advice where they are not eligible.

 

(4)           Councillor Meadows - The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

Why are Local Discretionary Social Fund claimants repeatedly claiming (see 3.13)?  What is the council doing to help claimants support themselves?  What do council staff need to do to support claimants to manage their money better?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

There are many factors driving repeat applications but generally it will be linked to continued unemployment or low wages, disability, particularly mental health issues, or other factors such as the high cost of living and renting in the city and drug and alcohol issues. However, the council fully recognises that helping people to resolve their situation for the long term is preferable.

The council has a small number of welfare support staff but also works closely with voluntary sector partners, particularly Money Advice Plus, to try to help people into a more sustainable situation. This includes advice and casework to help people re-package and manage debt, set up payment arrangements, help them identify or pursue welfare benefits they may be eligible for, advise them on saving money on fuel and energy contracts and so on. There are also other services provided through Supporting Families funding that work with households around employment and training, while social care and public health services also help people affected by mental health or substance misuse problems. Unfortunately, not all households’ challenges are easily resolved and there will continue to be a need for emergency hardship support.

 

(5)           Councillor McNair- Targeted Budget Management

 

When will the Hollingbury library site be finished?  What does reprofiling the delivery actually mean?  How much will it cost?  Will it exceed £2.9m?

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

The Hollingbury Library scheme has been competitively tendered and the contract is due to be awarded this month. The tender price will be confirmed once this has been completed. The scheme is financially viable at the tendered sum and therefore clears the Council’s financial hurdle. Start on site is forecast for November 2024, and the redevelopment programme is 22 months. Completion is currently programmed for September 2026.

Reprofiling is simply the movement of a multi-year capital budget into the correct year or years in which the capital expenditure is now expected to be incurred.

 

(6)           Councillor McNair- Targeted Budget Management

 

When can residents expect the statutory roll out of the food waste collection service?  Is the council asking the Labour government for financial assistance?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

The collection of Food Waste from households across the city is a statutory requirement from 1st April 2026, but we are committed to introducing the service before this date. We’re planning to roll the service out during 2025, and details will be published when confirmed.  The government has already provided some New Burdens funding for elements of this service, and we have procured the vehicles required to cover the rounds.

Yes, the council is lobbying for additional revenue support for operating a food waste collection service.

The council has not formally requested financial assistance from government as it cannot do this until it is certain that it cannot balance its budget. However, we continue to highlight the need for additional funding and have responded to a number of surveys including a recent and urgent Local Government Association survey exploring the financial situation of local authorities. We have very clearly indicated in that survey that we, like many authorities, are in an extremely challenging situation and will struggle to balance our budgets over the next few years without significant additional support or fundamental change to the system of local government finance.

 

(7)           Councillor Hill- Targeted Budget Management

 

What are the underlying reasons behind the 37.9% rise in temporary accommodation costs in past year? Is this purely from demand led pressure from the cost of living crises being worsened by continued austerity or are there other non demand led pressures?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

The costs incurred by local authorities in providing temporary accommodation (TA) are a combination of: increasing cost of TA provision which has gone up significantly since 2011; and even more rapidly with more recent inflationary rises; a reduction in availability of private sector homes for local authorities to lease as TA; and a continuing increase in more households becoming homeless . Also something on national policy, which restricts the amount of Local Housing Allowance that local authorities can claim toward costs of temporary accommodation (to 90% of the Local Housing Allowance as it stood in 2011).

We have mitigated against this as much as is possible, by providing more council-owned TA, and having high levels of homelessness prevention which means our increase in households in TA is far lower than other comparable local authorities. We will continue to implement practice which either prevents people requiring TA, moves people out of TA quicker, reduces the cost of TA, or increases the income collected.   

 

(8)           Councillor Hill - Targeted Budget Management

 

How will future multi-year budgets affect how the council does Targeted Budget Management?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

Targeted Budget Management is purely the council’s budget monitoring mechanism for tracking financial performance against the budget in the current financial year. This therefore monitors performance against the annual budget rather than multiple years.

Multi-year financial settlements will therefore have more impact on the budget setting process for the council and will allow it to develop a longer-term plan, or Medium-Term Financial Plan, with much more certainty about the resources it is likely to have available to it, including allowable future Council Tax increases. This means we can set more accurate budgets for the future and, importantly, plan earlier to meet any projected budget shortfalls or gaps over a period of years.

 

(9)           Councillor Shanks- Housing Allocations Policy

 

Women who have had children removed by the local authority are often left homeless, if they are not able to access housing they will not be able to rebuild their lives and hopefully go on to be able to establish a family, can they be treated as a priority. Very small numbers but a big impact on resources and lives

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

Every household, including women who have had children removed by the local authority, are provided with meaningful assistance if they are homeless or threatened with homelessness. This involves agreeing a Personalised Housing Plan incorporating ‘reasonable steps’ both the household and the council will undertake. If these actions are engaged with then it will help ensure settled accommodation is secured.

 

(10)     Councillor Hill- Options for the re-procurement of advocacy services for adults

 

Why have 4 options been suggested for cabinet? Surely you have already decided?

 

Response from Councillor Burden:

 

Thank you for your question. No, I can be very clear that the decision has not been made in relation to this report and will not be made until Cabinet votes on the matter later in the agenda. Cabinet Key Decisions are made at Cabinet. It is good practice to set out the options that are under consideration where there are options as to how to proceed. In this report the pros and cons of each are set out and it will be for Cabinet Members to weigh these up and reach their decision today, having listened to the debate, questions and responses. 

 

(11)        Councillor Sykes- The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

It’s good news that the Household Support Fund has been continued and updated as this increases the breadth of possible support to families in crisis and also adds flexibility to add preventative work. However, as the paper intimates, this 6 month extension repeats the short-term piecemeal approach used by the previous government. Is the Cabinet Member for Finance able to provide any insight into the timescale to support for longer term planning by Local Authorities under our Labour government?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

Our information from the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government is that a multi-year Spending Review is due to be announced in spring 2025.

 

(12)        Councillor Sykes- Targeted Budget Management

 

Since TBM 2, the forecast CT collection rate has fallen by a further 0.25% to 0.5%, now costing the council more than £1m in lost revenue. This is a significant deterioration in the position. What analysis has been undertaken about causes for the negative trend,  and what action is the Cabinet Member for Finance taking to address this issue?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

This is related directly to the cost of living crisis which, with government projections of falling inflation and interest rates, was expected to ease during the financial year. However, while there are signs of economic recovery, with 0.2% economic growth confirmed in September, the situation is clearly still challenging and therefore the assumed Collection Rate this year, which remained at 98.75% is proving a difficult target.

In addition, the council changed its ‘Corporate Debt Collection & Recovery’ policy to a ‘pre-enforcement’ approach, as approved by Policy & Resources Committee on 18 March 2021 under the previous Administration. This revised policy recognises the mental health issues and other vulnerabilities that can be created by debt. The impact of the policy was to stop the use of committal procedures, remove the in-house bailiff service, focus debt collection effort on support, advice and signposting, and support government initiatives such as ‘Breathing Spaces’. In the current climate, this is resulting in many more payment arrangements than previously. In addition, the number of individual bankruptcies also remains high, resulting in a persistently higher level of debt write-off.

Clearly, we are taking action to mitigate this and other pressures through escalating spending and recruitment controls as set out in the TBM report. The expectation is that the position should recover next financial year as economic recovery gains pac.

 

(13)        Councillor Sykes- Targeted Budget Management

 

In the TBM 5 report, forecast costs of Bulk Insurance Premia have risen by £700k to £4.5m this year, due it is stated to increased claims. Please can the Cabinet Member for Finance provide some information about the nature of these increased claims and do they for example include pothole damage to cars and damage from council trees?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

The council’s Insurance budget covers costs due for premiums payable (£2.6m) and the cost of settling claims (£1.2m). The overspend reported is wholly as a result of an increase in the cost of settling insurance claims. However, there have also been significant increases in insurance premiums but the council has mitigated this by moving to a model of self-insurance where appropriate, although this approach can cause costs to be more volatile from one year to the next.

 

The key areas where we have seen an increase in claims are:

 

·       Property claims – for council owned buildings, including the increase in claims due to a number of fires that happened in the last 2 years;

·       Public & Employer liability claims, often related to personal injury, have seen an increase as a result of settling historic claims.

·       Motor claims – where the council’s vehicles are damaged for various reasons or where the council’s vehicles have caused damage to third parties. Claims related to road conditions, e.g. potholes, are not a significant claim category;

 

Additionally, the average cost of claims has also increased over the last three years, partly as a result of the impact of inflation and partly due to some larger value claims than previous years.

 

(14)        Councillor McLeay- Housing Allocations Policy

 

Suitability assessments were references under “medical assessment accepted homeless case” and in the footnote on page 26 with a strike out of “Suitability assessment required under Housing Act 1996 Part VII”. Could I ask for clarification on whether suitability assessments will continue to be carried out for those placed in temporary accommodation, within or out of area, if the accommodation is not deemed to be a suitable living standard? For example, where property is riddled with damp and mould.

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

Suitability assessment remain a legal requirement for longer-term temporary accommodation, and they will continue under the new Allocations Policy, including where households are placed in accommodation outside Brighton & Hove. Suitability assessments will look at issues such as damp and mould, which we take very seriously.

 

(15)        Councillor McLeay- Housing Allocations Policy

 

Where reducing demand for temporary accommodation is the ultimate aim, is there a target as to what we expect these changes will have on temporary accommodation allocations? Will a reduction in out-of-area allocations be prioritised first?

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

The aim is to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation. Unfortunately, we are deep into a housing crisis which has seen the number of households in TA increase to record levels. Across the country, there are now more households in TA than ever before, a sad record that’s been broken on each of the past four reporting quarters.

Brighton & Hove is not immune to this. However, by comparison to other areas, the rise in households in TA has been much slower, at 3%, rather than 10% nationally, (or in the case of more recent data produced relating to England’s core cities’ 26.6%). This relative success is due to a wide range of factors, including excellent performance in preventing homelessness, targeting assistance at those who are at greatest risk of homelessness or greatest risk if homeless, and implementation of a new service redesign including an enhanced triage and advice ‘frontdoor’.

Reducing the reliance on out-of-area allocations is one of our priorities, as is reducing the overall cost of TA.  

 

(16)        Councillor McLeay- Housing Allocations Policy

 

Financial Income Assessment: The Government’s own consultation on social housing allocations published in September 2024 suggests they will “explore raising the income threshold over time with reference to inflationary indices e.g. the Consumer Price Index.” Could the impacts of inflation be referenced in the BHCC Housing Allocations Policy, so the household income threshold would be adjusted accordingly in respect to inflation?

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

The household income threshold has been reviewed in line with inflation within the new policy, and we will review this threshold annually so that it can be adjusted in respect to inflation.   

 

(17)        Councillor McLeay- Housing Allocations Policy

 

It has been acknowledged the financial impacts will not be known at this stage, but will need to be monitored carefully. How will the ongoing careful monitoring be recorded and shared with member as the policy is implemented?

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

The anticipated financial impact of this policy will be as a result of less people coming into temporary accommodation by their homelessness being prevented, as well as more households moving out of temporary accommodation by securing alternative accommodation when a relief duty or main duty is owed. These are within a suite of key performance indicators monitored weekly and shared with members via regular Housing performance updates and through financial information shared via TBM reports to Cabinet. 

 

(18)        Councillor McLeay- Housing Allocations Policy

 

“Should obtain independent legal advice” is referenced throughout the policy document. As this will be the core document applicants or tenants will use for reference, would it be possible to list examples of where affordable or free independent legal advice might be obtained? Law Stop or Brighton Housing Trust for example are two local options that could be referenced.

 

Response from Councillor Williams:

 

The council cannot recommend agencies or companies people should contact. However, the new policy provides a link to a website where applicants can find their own independent advice, with or without legal aid. Furthermore, on our website, we do already signpost to organisations people may want to consider. We will keep these under regular review to ensure they are up to date and comprehensive.

 

(19)        Councillor Shanks- Targeted Budget Management

 

In view of the rise in temporary accommodation costs what progress is being made on inhouse emergency accommodation e.g. the Old Steine building development?

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

In recent years, the council has secured 126 units of council owned temporary accommodation and a further 88 council-owned units for rough sleepers. Within our pipeline, we have plans for another 90 units of council-owned temporary accommodation, including the specific property referred to by Cllr Shanks.     

 

(20)        Councillor Shanks - The Brighton & Hove Fairness Fund and Household Support Fund

 

Please give us a breakdown of how much has been raised in public donations each year since this fund was set up. How do you intend to increase this and encourage public donations? For instance, through official council communications such as council tax. 

 

Response from Councillor Taylor:

 

The Fairness Fund (excluding Household Support Fund), currently totals £872,984, and is made up of council funding and other external or grant funding as follows:

 

-       Core council funding: £614,000

-       Redirection of the Hedgecock Bequest fund: £50,000

-       Textile Recycling Fund: £10,000

-       BME Support Fund: £15,000

-       Social value commitments from Enforcement Contracts: £85,000

-       Other DWP grants: £98,984

 

We are considering ways to increase contributions going forward.