‘EMERGENCY support schemes’, used by vulnerable families threatened with homelessness or who are struggling to put food on the table, are to be scrapped because of Tory cuts, councils warned yesterday.
The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling on the government to reverse its withdrawal of the funding otherwise families will be driven to food banks or forced to live on the streets.
LGA said: ‘Support for vulnerable people in crisis will either have to be scaled back or scrapped completely in almost three-quarters of council areas from next April when government scraps the £347 million Local Welfare Assistance fund next year.
‘The ending of government funding for councils’ emergency support schemes comes on top of a 40 per cent reduction in local government funding over the course of this Parliament.
‘Over the past two years local welfare assistance schemes have been set up by councils to give a helping hand to thousands going through a time of crisis or transition, including people facing the threat of homelessness, families struggling to put food on the table and care leavers setting up home for the first time.
‘The Local Government Association, which represents councils, is calling on government to reverse its decision to withdraw funding.
‘Otherwise, thousands are likely to miss out on some of the crucial support which councils are currently providing such as food vouchers, basic household essentials and short-term help paying the rent.’
Cllr Claire Kober, Chair of the LGA’s Resources Board, said: ‘Taking away this money could prove counterproductive and risks storing up much bigger, and more costly problems in the longer run.
‘Thousands of people have been helped through local welfare schemes, which have been far more effective at getting support to those most in need than the Government crisis loans scheme which it replaced.
‘If government pulls the plug on funding from April, many local authorities will be unable to afford to make up the difference at a time when we are tackling the biggest cuts to council funding in living memory.
‘Councils will be doing everything in their power to support those who need it most, but with less money and fewer resources to work with, this is going to become increasingly difficult. For some local authorities, where budgets are already on the brink, they will have no choice but to close their local welfare assistance schemes down altogether.
‘With government now agreeing to consult councils, it brings an important opportunity to reconsider, or we risk letting down people when they are most in need of help.’
