The Head of Customer Services has submitted a report which details a Financial Inclusion Strategy and an Action Plan for delivery.

Officer Recommendations: That the City Executive Board

1.    Approve the Financial Inclusion Strategy for a period of three years form April 2014 to April 2017 as set out in Appendix 3 and;

2.    Agree the associated Action Plan, the delivery of which will be coordinated by the Head of Customer Services.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) which detailed a Financial Inclusion Strategy and an Action Plan for delivery.

 Cllr Brown, Executive Board Member for Customer Services and Social Inclusion presented the report.

Cllr Fooks welcomed the promotion of the discretion housing payments (DHP) to private sector tenants. She queried the digital by default style as there are a lot of people who don’t have access to computers. Cllr Brown stated that provisions would always be provided for people without computers to access the necessary forms.

Cllr Fooks asked what were the staffing implications and financial costs of implementing this strategy? The Council had received £1.2M from the European Social Fund (ESF) to assist with the additional costs of extending the programme to private rental tenants.

The City Executive Board resolved to

1.    Approve the Financial Inclusion Strategy for a period of three years form April 2014 to April 2017 as set out in Appendix 3 and;

2.    Agree the associated Action Plan, the delivery of which will be coordinated by the Head of Customer Services.

This report sets out a strategy defining the Council’s approach to financial inclusion, including an action plan to achieve objectives in the strategy.

The Board is asked to approve the Financial Inclusion Strategy for consultation.

The Head of Customer Services submitted a report (previously circulated, now appended) concerning the Council’s proposed strategy for financial inclusion. Councillor Susan Brown, Board Member for Benefits and Customer Services presented the report to the Board and gave some explanation of it. It was important for many reasons to develop a financial inclusion strategy, but especially so in the light of a rise in debt and the use of food banks within the City. It was intended that the report would go out for consultation, and then return to the Board in July, along with an Action Plan for its implementation.

It was noted, with concern, that Oxfordshire County Council probably would not continue its system of crisis loans beyond next year. It was further noted that the consultation had been informed by discussion with advice centres in Oxford, and that delivery of the strategy would be in partnership with others.

Resolved to approve the Financial Inclusion Strategy for consultation.