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Consultation on Welfare Provision Closes 21st November

6 Nov 2014 - 09:20 by john.butler

 Parts of the Department for Work and Pensions’ discretionary Social Fund, introduced in 1987, were abolished by the Welfare Reform Act 2012. This paved the way for the delivery of new local welfare provision by local authorities, replacing Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans. In Manchester this amounts to 2.7M per annum.
The DWP decided that this funding would cease from May 2014 however this decision was challenged in a judicial review (supported by CPAG) which resulted in a ruling that the DWP had to carry out a consultation process. 
Alison Graham CPAG’s chief executive said that “those who use these schemes are amongst the most vulnerable in society and the support they receive plays a key role in crisis prevention. “Our social security system has long recognised that those on low incomes cannot manage one-off, unexpected costs. This funding enables families to flee domestic violence and avoid homelessness, young people to set up home after leaving institutions, and disabled people to buy items to help with independent living.
“Local welfare assistance schemes are the final safety net in our social security system.

This consultation seeks views on how local welfare provision should be funded in 2015 to 2016. The government is considering three options but you can also suggest an additional funding option if you wish.
1. Funding from within existing budgets, with no separately identified or ring-fenced funding
2. Separate visibility of local welfare provision
3. Top slice Revenue Support Grant to fund a section 31 grant

The closing date for submissions is 21 November 2014

For more information and to add your voice go to https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-welfare-provision-in-2...
For background information about the judicial review go to
http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/lwas-intervention

For information about Manchesters scheme go to.

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/download/5237/welfare_provision_s...

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