The report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer is enclosed.

A report submitted by the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer outlined the COVID-19 funding that has been provided by Central Government and the current forecast of additional expenditure and loss of income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The additional funding that had so far been announced by the Government was:

The report described the intended and actual use of each of these sources of extra funding. The Government had said that the two allocations of Emergency Funding had been provided to support these areas and services.

·         To meet the increased demand for adult social care and to enable councils to provide additional support to social care providers. The Government expected that the majority of this funding would need to be spent on providing the Adult Social Care services required to respond to the Coronavirus crisis.

·         Care Commissioning Groups (CCG) were being separately funding for the additional costs of discharging and keeping people out of hospital, including social care costs - commissioned by the local authority unless existing local arrangements suggest otherwise. It was essential that ‘boundary issues’ did not cause delays so it was expected the some of the council’s funding would be used in a pooled budget with the local CCG.

·         To meet the cost of extra demand and higher business-as-usual costs of providing children’s social care, including as a result of school closures and the need for increased accommodation to provide for isolation, including for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.

·         To provide additional support for the homeless and rough sleepers, including where self-isolation is needed.

·         To support those at higher risk who were asked to shield and self-isolate in their homes for the duration of the pandemic.

·         To meet pressures across other services arising from reduced income, rising costs or increased demand.

However, at the meeting the Executive Member explained that the estimated cost to the Council was £160m, so the two allocations of Emergency Funding announced would not cover all the council’s expected costs and loss of income.

The report also explained the assumptions made for distribution of the Council Tax Hardship funding: £6.144m had been allocated to provide for residents in receipt of working-age Local Council Tax Support in 2020/21 to receive a further discount of £150. The remaining £1.314m was being used to support other welfare priorities including lunch time meals for children, discretionary Council tax Support, emergency food provision, for a fund to support unpaid carers, and to support households that might be facing a crisis or emergency.

It was explained that the Manchester Health and Care Commissioning (MHCC) Finance Committee was recommending that Council grant funding be pooled in tranches, with the first tranche of £3.834m reflecting Adult Social Care and Public Health commitments already made and expected to the end of July. Combined with the Care Home Infection Control Fund that would see the Council contributing £7.176m to the Manchester Health and Care Commissioning (MHCC) pooled fund. That was supported.

The report then addressed how the additional funding should be included within the 2020/21 revenue budget. It was recommended and agreed that the authority to decide the allocation of that funding across the council’s budgets and directorates be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources. A provisional allocation of the funding was included in the report and noted.

Decisions

1.         To note the COVID-19 funding received by the Council.

2.         To approve an increase in the use of COVID-19 reserve of £18.2m and grants and other external funding of £15.167m in 2020/21.

3.         To approve an increase in grants and other external funding for the use of the hardship fund, excluding that used to support Council Tax Support claimants as that will be held in the Collection Fund.

4.         To approve an increase in grants and other external funding of £68,000 relating to the emergency support for rough sleepers allocation.

5.         To approve an increase in grants and other external funding of £3.342m relating to the Care Home Infection Control Fund.

6.         To approve an increase in grants and other external funding of £489,000 relating to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund.

7.         To approve an increase in business rates related funding of £138.477m related to business rates, expanded retail discounts and a corresponding transfer to the business rates reserve to fund the resultant collection fund deficit which will be included in the 2021/22 budget.

8.         To note that the Council is acting as agent to administer the BEIS scheme for grants to businesses.

9.         To approve an increase in grants and other external funding of £5.432m, relating to the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

10.       To note that the arrangements for the payment of grants made under the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund will be approved by the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources.

11.       To delegate authority for the allocation of the additional grant funding to individual services to the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources.

12.       To approve an Increase in the Manchester Health and Care Commissioning (MHCC) pooled fund of £7.176m, which consists of £3.834m from the COVID-19 Emergency Funding and £3.342m direct allocation in respect of the Care Home Infection Control Fund.