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Date of Screening:
11/5/22
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Directorate:
Resources
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Section: Resources
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1. Activity to
be assessed
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Bracknell Forest Energy
Rebate Discretionary Fund
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2. What is the
activity?
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Policy/strategy Function/procedure
Project
Review
Service Organisational
change
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3. Is it a new
or existing activity?
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New Existing
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4. Officer
responsible for the screening
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Stuart McKellar
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5. Who are the
members of the screening team?
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Claudia Trott, Katie Flint, Harjit Hunjan
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6. What is the
purpose of the activity?
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The Government has made available through
local authorities additional funding of £150 to pay to
households living in Band A – D properties with
responsibility for energy bills. Local billing authorities
were also allocated discretionary grant funding from the Department
for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with allocations based
on Indices of Deprivation and numbers of households receiving
council tax support in council tax band E – H. The
funding aims to support households worst affected by the increase
in energy bills. Individual local authorities are responsible for
how the discretionary funding is disbursed to residents. This can
either be distributed to households in council tax bands E-H or
used to top up the council tax rebate payments to vulnerable
households in bands A-D.
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7. Who is the
activity designed to benefit/target?
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Vulnerable households impacted by the increase
in energy bills.
In the first instance it is being recommended
that the funding is used to offer one off payments to the following
cohorts:
·
All working age and pensioner council tax support claimants
occupying properties in Bands E to H, approximately 300
households.
·
Care leavers aged 18 – 25, approximately 150 individuals.
Individuals from these cohorts will be invited
to apply to receive this funding. The Members Welfare Advisory
Group will consider further groups to be supported by the grant,
using insight from the LIFT software.
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Protected
Characteristics
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Please tick
yes or no
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Is there an impact?
What kind of equality impact may
there be? Is the impact positive or adverse or is there a potential
for both?
If the impact is neutral please
give a reason.
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What evidence do you
have to support this?
E.g equality monitoring data, consultation
results, customer satisfaction information etc
Please add a narrative to justify
your claims around impacts and describe the analysis and
interpretation of evidence to support your conclusion as this will
inform members decision making, include consultation
results/satisfaction information/equality monitoring
data
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8. Disability Equality – this can include
physical, mental health, learning or sensory disabilities and
includes conditions such as dementia as well as hearing or sight
impairment.
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Y
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This support
will have a slight positive impact to this
characteristic
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National and
local data demonstrates that disabled households and those with
poor health are at higher risk of poverty. The poverty rate for a
disabled adult is 38% compared with 17% for adults who are not
disabled. Residents facing hardship and poverty are those that are
eligible for this support and therefore there is likely to be a
greater proportion of residents with a disability receiving this
support than the wider population.
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9. Racial
equality
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Y
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This support will
have a slight positive impact to this characteristic
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National and
local data shows that ethnic minority groups have higher rates of
poverty. Poverty rates in BAME households are 38% compared with 19%
for white households. Residents who are facing hardship are those
that are eligible for this support and therefore there is likely to
be a greater proportion of residents from an ethnic minority
receiving this support than the wider population.
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10. Gender
equality
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N
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Neutral
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There
is no anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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11. Sexual
orientation equality
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N
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Neutral
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There
is no anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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12. Gender
re-assignment
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N
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Neutral
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There is no
anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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13. Age
equality
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Y
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Pension age
individuals will benefit disproportionately from this
fund.
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There is a
greater proportion of pension age individuals claiming council tax
support, than reflected in the wider population. Therefore,
this fund will have a positive impact on a greater number of
pension age individuals.
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14. Religion and
belief equality
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N
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Neutral
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There
is no anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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15. Pregnancy and
maternity equality
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N
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Neutral
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There
is no anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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16. Marriage and
civil partnership equality
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N
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Neutral
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There
is no anticipated impact to this characteristic.
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17. Please give
details of any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g.
those on lower incomes/carers/ex-offenders, armed forces
communities) and on promoting good community
relations.
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Individuals on
low income will benefit from the Discretionary Fund as it is aimed
to support households hardest hit by increasing energy and living
costs. Eligibility to receive the funding includes households in
receipt of council tax support in council tax bands E-H. These are
households that have a low income. Additionally, care leavers will
benefit from the funding.
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18. If an adverse/negative impact has been identified
can it be justified on grounds of promoting equality of opportunity
for one group or for any other reason?
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No adverse or
negative impacts have been identified.
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19. If there is
any difference in the impact of the activity when considered for
each of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how
significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number
of people likely to be affected?
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The scheme is
likely to positively impact hundreds of households across the
borough who are in financial hardship. It is estimated that around
650 households will be eligible to receive a direct payment to
support them with their energy bills.
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20. Could the
impact constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the
Equality Duties?
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N
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21. What
further information or data is required to better understand the
impact? Where and how can that information be obtained?
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The
council is required to monitor and report how the funding is
allocated and spent.
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22. On the
basis of sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment
required?
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N
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23. If a full impact assessment is not
required; what actions will you take to reduce or remove any
potential differential/adverse impact, to further promote equality
of opportunity through this activity or to obtain further
information or data? Please complete the action plan in
full, adding more rows as needed.
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Action
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Timescale
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Person
Responsible
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Milestone/Success
Criteria
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Consider multiple formats for applying to the
scheme including digital and non-digital.
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July 2022
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Stuart McKellar
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All individuals wishing to apply can do so.
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Notify individuals of eligibility via post to
reduce reliance on digital.
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July 2022
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Stuart McKellar
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All eligible individual notified of how to apply.
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24. Which
service, business or work plan will these actions be included
in?
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Resources
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25. Please list the
current actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good
practice identified as part of the screening?
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Considered a range of cohorts.
Mapped other support/funding currently available to cohorts
including through the Household Support Fund.
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26. Assistant
Director/Director signature.
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Signature:
 Date:
13/5/22
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