£63 million welfare funding for local authorities

An additional £63 million has been confirmed by government to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to coronavirus.

Local authorities are already working hard to support those who are vulnerable and this additional funding will contribute to that work, with many using existing mechanisms to provide this support in a way that suits the needs of their community, including provision of cash payments, food vouchers, or alternative means of support.

Food Minister Victoria Prentis, who leads the cross-government Food and Essential Supplies to the Vulnerable Task Force, said: “The extraordinary circumstances of this pandemic have meant real financial difficulty for many households, with people left facing hard choices. To help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials, today we are announcing an additional £63 million which will be given to and distributed by local authorities to those in need. Local authorities are already doing a brilliant job helping the most vulnerable in their communities and this extra money will enable them to help more families and individuals at this extremely difficult time.”

The funding will sit alongside the alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the government is providing through the welfare system to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are protected throughout this crisis.

Richard Watts, chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, said: “Councils have responded quickly and effectively to the complex challenges faced by local communities and this funding will help them continue to provide much needed crisis support to households who are struggling to afford food, fuel and other essentials. We are pleased that the Government has listened to our call for funding to help pay for this much needed additional support.

“Councils and their partners in the voluntary sector continue to work tirelessly to help households facing financial hardship as a result of Covid-19, many of whose circumstances changed overnight. Many of these pressures were increased by lockdown measures and social distancing, such as having children home from school or not being able to shop for essentials.

“Many households are likely to be economically vulnerable for some time to come and it is vital that the government puts local welfare funding on a long-term, sustainable footing. The ability of councils to provide preventative support to all households who need it is vital if they are to ensure households can be financially secure and can benefit from council efforts to reboot local economies once the virus is defeated.”