The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has published one hundred and fifty local welfare assistance scheme policy documents, internal guidance, staff manuals and training materials on the CPAG website, much of it never before available to the general public.
Local welfare assistance schemes are designed to help people who are in urgent need following an emergency or unforeseen event.
They replaced community care grants and crisis loans for living expenses in April 2013 and are intended for people who have no other source of help.
CPAG obtained the policy scheme documents from English local authorities through 157 freedom of information requests.
It hopes that this new information will help claimants and advisers to fully understanding of the rules and priorities of their local scheme, to frame successful applications and challenge councils who are not following their own rules.
CPAG has challenged authorities that have not responded to their freedom of information request and says more documents are being uploaded each day.
You can find the documents relating to your local welfare assistance scheme and links to the right council webpages at www.cpag.org.uk/lwas