Local Welfare Assistance

The government announced that it would scrap the Local Welfare Provision Grant, which provided councils with funding to provide crisis loans and community care grants from 2015-16. Funding of £172 million in local welfare assistance schemes (LWAS) was provided on a non-ringfenced basis to 2015 but the government announced that, from April 2015, any support would have to come from within local authorities’ general funds.

Following a successful judicial review of the decision to end the funding for LWAS, brought by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) as an “intervener”, the government agreed to review the schemes, consult on funding for 2015-16, and consider the equalities implications of its funding decision.

Following its review, the government has committed to “providing a further £74 million to upper-tier authorities to recognise that councils have asked for additional support, including to help them respond to local welfare needs and to improve social care provision.”