Decision details

At Council on 20th July 2017, a council motion as amended was approved as follows:

‘Council resolves:

To request the relevant director to urgently produce an assessment for presentation to the relevant Executive Member Decision Session. This assessment should set out practical measures that the council and its partners could quickly put in place to mitigate the risk of residents being adversely affected by the introduction of UCFS.
This assessment should include, but not be limited to:

·         Options for the provision of additional financial or other assistance to CAY and/or other partners to support access to drop-in outreach sessions for clients encountering difficulties with UCFS.

·         Options for an ‘early warning system’ to be put in place through which Housing Officers can quickly and easily signpost residents to sources of help and support where rent arrears as a result of the implementation of UCFS may lead to evictions.

·         Options to increase the awareness and uptake of the York Financial Assistance Scheme – Including: the ability for third party advocacy groups to make applications on behalf of residents; and, the ability for individuals or advocates to make YFAS applications online.’

The report will respond to the council motion as amended with required options and recommendations.

Resolved:

That the Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health (in consultation with the Executive Leader, Finance and Performance)

(i)   notes the information provided and progress made in relation to Housing Services and York Financial Assistance Scheme (YFAS) in response to the related aspects of the Council motion;

(ii)  agrees to pay a one off sum of £12k to restore the drop in sessions to the end of March 2018 as detailed in the Citizen’s Advice York’s (CAY) proposal, as outlined in Option 2 of paragraph 28 of the report.

(iii) agrees that CAY’s longer term requirements be reviewed as part of the next three year SLA negotiations (2018/21).

Reason:

To fully respond to the requirements as outlined in the related Council motion as amended on 20^th July 2017.