The scrapping of a Government fund used by councils to provide emergency support will make it increasingly difficult to help vulnerable people facing short-term crises, local authorities are warning.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, is calling for Government to rethink its decision to scrap the £347 million Local Welfare Assistance fund.
Councils are concerned that the withdrawal of Government funding for local emergency support schemes may leave some areas unable to afford to help out families in crisis.
This could lead to short-term problems escalating. Overall funding for local government has been cut by more than 40% over the course of this Parliament.
The Local Welfare Assistance Fund is currently used by local authorities to give emergency and financial help to people facing crisis situations, including families under the threat of domestic abuse or homelessness. It has paid for food vouchers for people struggling to afford to eat and basic household essentials.
The Local Welfare Assistance Fund was introduced in 2013 to replace Government-provided crisis loans, with each local authority area allocated money from the £347 million total.
This year's Local Government Finance Settlement revealed that Government funding would not be renewed in 2015.