Support to Communities funding distribution: FOI release

Information requested

I refer to the process or receipt, allocation of funds through local authorities and distribution of those funds to reliant citizens of Scotland by Local Authorities.
I understand that of the £350million Support to Communities funding promised by the Scottish Government, £0 has yet been provided to Aberdeenshire.

• Has the same Zero distribution been seen by other Councils in Scotland? Please provide me with the figures of funds distributed as of the 13th April broken down by Local Authority / Council. Please also provide me with the proposed distribution schedule of funds through until either 100% of the available funding has been distributed or 31st March 2021.
• Why has nothing from the Support to Communities been distributed yet? Please provide me with a copy of the formal decision preventing the distribution of funds.

Limited funds have been allocated - specifically Aberdeenshire’s share of the Hardship Fund, the Welfare Fund and funds for Households facing barriers in accessing foods. These funds will not be distributed until March 2021.

• Why are funds already received by the Scottish Government not being distributed until March 2021? Please provide me with a copy of the formal decision stating that the distribution of funds will not / should not take place until March 2021.

Of the anticipated £10 million that Aberdeenshire hope to receive from the Support to Communities funding via the Scottish Government [funding already provided from the UK Treasury], Aberdeenshire will self-fund this from cash – and hope that the wash up at the end of all this will balance the books and that the grant funding and compensation promised is received.

• Why is it necessary to self-fund Support to Communities when funds have already been distributed? Please provide me with a copy of the formal decision stating that Local Authorities should self-finance support to communities. 

With the regard to Grants to Business, currently only 80% [£46.6 million of £58.4] of the funding has been received, 20% is being held back by the Scottish Government. 

• Why are the Scottish Government holding back 20% of the funds allocated to Business? Please provide me with a copy of the formal decision explaining why the Scottish Government is withholding 20% of funds specifically allocated Coronavirus funding.

Response

The answer to your questions can be found in the attached Annexes. Also within the Annexes, we have also provided details of the Hardship Fund Allocation's, which is broken down at Local Authority level.

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FOI-202000027950 Information released - Annex

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