To authorise the following spend which is outside the budget agreed by Council on 13 February 2020 to fund the Council’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic:

·       Providing accommodation for rough sleepers and provision of meals at an estimated additional cost of £532k (this is based on initial 3 month lockdown period and does not reflect potential future requirements for rough sleepers)

·       Additional one-off ICT software and equipment and mobile handsets to accommodate remote working £455k

·       Provision of food parcels and other costs in supporting vulnerable people through the locality hubs - £115k

·       One off additional costs in the Benefits Team to process increased numbers of Housing benefits claims and changes in circumstances. - £50k  

Note: the date of decision relates to the principle of releasing additional funding. A number of financial orders were issued over a period of time spanning April and May 2020.