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Local Welfare Asssistance Scheme consultation response

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Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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Advice and Rights Team, Child Poverty Action Group

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As many of you will know, the government recently committed to take a fresh decision with respect to local welfare provision (LWP) funding for 2015/16. As part of this process, the government is currently consulting on the subject.

We are very concerned at CPAG that dedicated funding for LWP may cease from next year. A recent survey by LGA suggests that three-quarters of local authorities will either end their schemes or be forced to scale them back significantly if this source of funding ends. Yet the consultation places three specific options on the table, none of which proposes maintaining funding levels for 2015/16.

In view of this, CPAG is unequivocally supporting the open option 4 in the consultation. We will be calling for:

• Funding for LWP be maintained at least in line with current levels;
• In recognition the part that LWP plays in the social security system, funding be maintained via a section 31 grant from DWP;
• Funds be ring-fenced to ensure that all local authorities provide LWP for their residents;
• Minimum standards to monitor LWP be placed on local authorities to ensure informed decisions about LWP can be made in the future;
• That DWP, DCLG and Treasury provide clarity as to how LWP will be funded beyond 2015/16;
• That proposals made under option 4 be given due consideration at a formative stage of decision making to ensure that the consultation truly facilitates a “fresh decision”’ as required by the consent order.

We hope very much that rightsnet subscribers will make their own submissions to this important consultation and help us maintain and improve LWP. The deadline for responses is 5pm on 21st November. For further information please see here

Finally, we know that local MPs are very concerned about this issue. It would be very helpful if you could visit their local surgery to discuss what ending LWP funding would mean for your clients. If you are keen to do this, please get in touch with Lindsay Judge at CPAG on email at ljudge[AT]cpag.org.uk for template letters and FAQs that could help with this, and she’d be keen to hear how you get on.

Thanks all, much appreciated.

Rehousing Advice.
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Thanks Paul.

You know much more about this than I do. However, I think the call for minimum standards is going to be difficult to sqaure, with what are “discretionary schemes”....

In some areas Authorities, have developed application based approaches. In some they have developed voluntary sector infrastructure…....

My own view is that each Local Authority should be required to publish a list of agencies and schemes providing LWP and a plan on how to cordinate and improve these.

I reckon its time for transparency.

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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MartinB - 13 November 2014 09:28 AM

Thanks Paul.

You know much more about this than I do. However, I think the call for minimum standards is going to be difficult to sqaure, with what are “discretionary schemes”....

On this, we could look at how the social fund was previously administered before localisation, where there were national guidelines and local budgets perhaps?

MartinB - 13 November 2014 09:28 AM

In some areas Authorities, have developed application based approaches. In some they have developed voluntary sector infrastructure…....

My own view is that each Local Authority should be required to publish a list of agencies and schemes providing LWP and a plan on how to cordinate and improve these.

I reckon its time for transparency.

Yes, good point, Dan who works on our LWAS finder tool thinks there may be one authority who have provided us with these details, when we did a round of FOI requests for further information about local schemes - however, he’s having trouble remembering which one it was, if we can source it, we’ll let you know.

Rehousing Advice.
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Paul_Treloar_CPAG - 13 November 2014 09:50 AM

On this, we could look at how the social fund was previously administered before localisation, where there were national guidelines and local budgets perhaps?

I guess I see it as a bottom up process now. My own view is that The LA should pubish a local audit and plan for LWP, in return for funding. Then would then be the need for some sort of paper audit (say by a national advice agency, local agencies could feed in) of what works.. then you can get some idea of what guidelines would look like, within the spirit of localism. At least if these audits were done, we can see what is being funded and what could be lost locally.


Call me cynical (I am) but if you start with National Guidelines, they wont refect whats happening on the ground. (Err other than in London…apologies for that…uncalled for).

Dan_Manville
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Hi Paul

What do you need for the finder tool? I’ll try to provide it for Wolves. Maybe ask Dan to forward the FOI to me?

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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Here’s a link to a copy of our draft response

Please feel free to share and use and please try to make sure you also respond.

Many thanks.

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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DManville - 13 November 2014 11:10 AM

Hi Paul

What do you need for the finder tool? I’ll try to provide it for Wolves. Maybe ask Dan to forward the FOI to me?

We’ve just spotted that Wolverhamton link is broken, so Dan will fix and check what material we have - we’ve been FOIing to obtain details of the policies and procedures for the administration of LWA schemes locally, he’s not sure what we’ve got for your area as it’s been quite a job and he’s working through them alphabetically, so he’s also going to have a check on what, if anything, they’ve sent and I’ll let you know in due course.

Dan
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I’ve updated the webpage http://www.cpag.org.uk/lwas/wolverhampton
Thanks for the heads up

Paul_Treloar_CPAG
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We’ve set up a page to collate the responses, if you want us to add yours, then please send it via email to ksmith[AT]cpag.org.uk

Local welfare provision - responses to the consultation

shawn mach
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“Conservative minister has joined growing Tory opposition to the government’s proposals to slash funding for local welfare assistance, which provides emergency help to Britain’s poorest citizens….”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/26/tory-minister-local-welfare-cuts-amber-rudd-crisis-schemes

Ros
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Government has had over 5,000 responses to consultation and intends to make a decision in time for the provisional local government finance settlement in December 2014, according to House of Lords written answer -

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/141201w0001.htm#14120114000511

Ros
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Provisional local government finance settlement is due tomorrow and looks as though decision on local welfare assistance funding will be given as part of that - see this exchange in House of Commons yesterday - judging by responses of Housing Minister, seems unlikely that there will be continuation of extra funding or any ringfencing of local welfare budgets -

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141215/debtext/141215-0001.htm#14121516000009

stevenmcavoy
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thankfully the Scottish parliament are going through the process of putting the Scottish welfare fund on a statutory footing.

The proposed Bill and Regulations are pretty decent as well though we did raise some issues with them.

Its also looking likely that the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman will be responsible for second tier reviews.  I am hopeful that they will take on the culture of the Independent Review Service who I always found to be pretty good.

That being said, our fund up here will only ever be as good as the budget allocated and there is no telling how this will go in future.

Ros
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Guardian reporting that announcement on provisional local government finance settlement has been delayed until tomorrow as Cabinet split over whether to continue extra funding for local welfare assistance, with Eric Pickles and Danny Alexander in favour and George Osborne against-

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/17/cabinet-split-crisis-fund-george-osborne-eric-pickles

ruthch
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The Local Government Chronical has reported that the Local Government Finance Settlement includes:

‘£129m from councils’ government grants will be designated as a “local welfare provision grant”. This figure is “based on the amount provided for local welfare provision funding in 2014-15, excluding support for administration costs, and reduced by 10%”. LGC reported earlier this year that the government was planning to stop this grant, which provides emergency support for residents in crisis.’ 

Link to full article:

http://www.lgcplus.com/breaking-minister-says-18-cuts-among-lowest-this-parliament/5077801.article?blocktitle=Latest-Local-Government-News&contentID=2249

shawn mach
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cheers Ruth .... here’s more from the Minister’s statement -

‘Local authorities will continue to be able to offer local welfare assistance from within existing budgets, alongside a range of other services for 2015 to 2016 if they judge it a priority in their area. It would be helpful to many areas to see how much of their existing funding relates to this. So today I can confirm that we have separately identified an amount relating to local welfare provision in each upper-tier authority’s general grant, totalling £129.6 million nationally.

The government has always been clear councils should choose how best to support local welfare needs – because what is right for Croydon will not be for Cumbria. Therefore this allocation will not be ring-fenced and we will not be placing any new duties, expectations or monitoring requirements on its use.

Over the last year, councils have increased their reserves by £2.2 billion so they now stand at a total of £21.4 billion. Authorities should of course maintain a healthy cushion when balancing the books. However, local taxpayers would be right in asking whether such substantial reserves are necessary.’

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/provisional-local-government-finance-settlement-2015-to-2016