The Decline of Local Welfare Schemes in England: why a new approach is needed.
Download Decline of Local Welfare Schemes in England
In 2013/14, the Government made a decision to abolish Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants and transfer responsibility for these to local authorities who were to create new ‘local welfare schemes’.
This new Centre for Responsible Credit report examines the current funding levels for these schemes in around 70 percent of English local authorities and found:
- 26 local authorities have now closed their schemes altogether
- A further 41 authorities have cut back spending on their schemes by over 60 percent
- 11 of these 41 have cut spending by over 80 percent bringing their schemes to the brink of collapse
The report calls on Government to urgently review its approach and provide more local welfare funding to help local authorities prevent widespread destitution and even greater pressure on already over-stretched housing, health, and social care services.
Local authorities in England who have closed their local welfare assistance schemes
- Bournemouth
- East Devon
- Exeter
- Leicestershire
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
- London Borough of Bexley
- London Borough of Haringey
- London Borough of Hillingdon
- Lincolnshire
- Medway
- North Lincolnshire
- North East Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- North Devon
- Nottinghamshire
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Plymouth
- Reading
- Solihull
- South Hams
- Staffordshire
- Teignbridge
- Torridge
- West Berkshire
- West Devon
Local authority local welfare schemes facing closure
- Calderdale
- Dudley
- East Sussex
- Kingston Upon Thames
- London Borough of Hackney
- London Borough of Lambeth
- London Borough of Lewisham
- Somerset County Council
- Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Rotherham
