Digital process for distributing funds helps deliver award-winning programme

• Over £30m distributed to people in financial crisis via Reward Gateway |Edenred since 2020
• Extra support for 30k+ children eligible for free school meals
• 35k+ households in financial hardship supported through the Norfolk Assistance Scheme
• Winner of the Most Impactful Social Community Programme at the Appreciation Awards 2024

Sector: Local government

Solution: Select (distribution of public support funds)

What they needed

Since 2020, Norfolk County Council has maximised government funding streams including the Household Support Fund to help protect local people from the devastating effects of financial hardship.

The funding has been a lifeline, providing crucial support to those in need, including help with food, utilities and rent arrears, wider essentials and advice services.

As part of this effort, the council wanted to transform the way it distributed funds to make sure the service is proactive and ready to respond to immediate needs.

How we helped

Dissatisfied with the limitations of its previous mechanisms for distributing funds, Norfolk switched to the Reward Gateway | Edenred Select platform so that it could send support in the form of Select digital vouchers. This means people can now easily redeem the vouchers and spend them at hundreds of retailers to meet essential needs.

In particular, this has helped the council to implement a flexible free school meals scheme by providing monthly payments to eligible families that they can spend whenever they need to.

It has also helped to improve the operation of the Norfolk Assistance Scheme. When it was originally set up in 2013, the Scheme provided application-based support for anyone in financial hardship through PayPoint payments and bank transfers. This approach had flaws, however, because not all applicants used the funds for their intended purpose.

Following the switch to Select, spend is defined and people now commonly use the funds for essential additional items such as much needed school uniforms.

• “The Reward Gateway | Edenred system has been a gamechanger, particularly for young people. We have been able to provide additional vouchers to those in receipt of free school meals, extending this support to early years, colleges, and those not in a school setting but still entitled to support. But it’s not just young people. The system really has been a beacon of hope, providing immediate digital financial support to many more people who need it.”

Carole Rake, Head of Client Services for Norfolk County Council

What they achieved

Since 2020, Norfolk County Council has used Select to distribute over £30m to those in financial crisis and hardship across Norfolk. This has included supporting over 30,000 children who are entitled to free school meals who otherwise may have gone hungry. At Christmas, the monthly payment is tripled.

Similarly, over 35,000 applicants to the Norfolk Assistance scheme have received  payments through the Reward Gateway | Edenred system.

In addition, the council works in partnership with district councils across Norfolk to issue more Select vouchers to households in need. Voluntary organisations and social enterprises have also been able to use and access the system, providing immediate support to people including carers and volunteers. In total these efforts mean an additional 35,000 people are regularly receiving support.

Crucially, the system is easy for the council team to manage – enabling the team to allocate time to other important areas, including providing advice services and helping people with utility bills and rent arrears.

In recognition of its comprehensive and proactive approach, Norfolk County Council won the ‘Most Impactful Social Community Programme’ category at the Reward Gateway | Edenred Appreciation Awards 2024. We’re delighted that the council also won the Grand Prix Award for the highest overall score from the judges.

“I firmly believe that we couldn’t have supported so many people and with such ease without working with Reward Gateway | Edenred. Other systems would have been more labour intensive, taking vital resource away from the important work that we do.”

 Carole Rake, Head of Client Services for Norfolk County Council