Councillor Phil Davies presented a report by the Head of Business Processes which provided the Cabinet with an update on the local discretionary support scheme “Local Welfare Assistance” introduced in April 2013. (Minute No. 168 refers.)  Wirral’s scheme was approved by the Cabinet at its meeting on 24 January 2013 when a further report reviewing the scheme with recommendations for future years was requested.

The report recommended specific scheme amendments for 2014/15 which were made in light of this grant funding only being available for 2014/15 and that an authority had no statutory requirement to have a scheme and locally specified its own scheme. The draft Wirral Local Welfare Assistance Scheme Policy 2014/15 was attached to the report for Members’ information as Appendix 1.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  the policy with minor changes, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report, as the Council’s Local Welfare Assistance Scheme for 2014/15 be approved; and

(2)  a further report be presented to the Cabinet in due course recommending what welfare assistance should be put in place for 2015/16 after the government’s funding ceases.