In a recent reply to a FOIA response submitted 23/11/2020 you outlined the local authority’s policy on the provision of financial support to families with No Recourse to Public Funds (‘NRPF’) seeking access to support under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
Following on from this, could you please confirm whether the local authority, for a family eligible for support under Section 17 of the Children’s Act 1989, who have no other source of income:
a) has guidance on the minimum or median rate of support provided per family member?
b) if so, what is the minimum or median rate received per week (or fortnight if subsistence is paid fortnightly rather than weekly)?
c) whether the local authority provides additional funds for children aged 1-3?
d) whether the local authority provides additional funds for children aged 0-1?
e) whether the local authority provides additional funds for pregnant mothers?
f) whether the local authority provided any additional subsistence payments during the Covid-19 pandemic to help with additional costs?
g) if the answer to any of questions c)-f) is yes, then please outline what additional funds are received per week (or fortnight if subsistence is paid fortnightly rather than weekly)?
h) whether the local authority provides a maternity grant following the birth of a child?
i) and if so, how much is this grant and is it provided for every child or only for the first child born to the mother?
j) whether the local authority provides discretionary payments for additional expenditure, eg. winter clothes, school uniforms, travel costs?
k) and if so, is there any guidance on the maximum amount payable or the frequency of payments?
We do not have any specific policy outlining specific payments or amounts, these are all needs assessed under s.17 child in need within a single assessment undertaken by a social worker therefore, this information is not held.