Government policy on local welfare is failing the most vulnerable: A new report from the Centre for Responsible Credit (CfRC) has been published today. The report Where now for local welfare schemes? reveals how the Coalition Government has presided over a dramatic decline in support for some of the most vulnerable groups in society, including people at risk of homelessness; victims of domestic violence, and people with mental health problems. The report details how the abolition of Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans in April 2013, and the subsequent transfer of funding to local authorities in England to support the creation of local welfare schemes, led to a collapse in provision: * Only 400,000 financial awards made in 2013/14: a 75 percent fall compared to the final year of Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans; * The value of awards in many areas was also low, and this has been combined with restrictions on the number of awards that can be made in any 12 month period. The ability of low income households to access emergency financial assistance on a repeat basis, which was a feature of the prior Crisis Loan scheme, has been virtually lost in many areas of England. responsible-credit.org.uk/uimages/File/Where%20now%20for%20local%20welfare%20schemes.pdf
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:54:53 +0000
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