Exit Local Welfare Assistance Provision Scheme

Overview

Birmingham City Council is undertaking a consultation on a proposal to end Local Welfare Provision payments in April 2016.

The Council’s Benefit Service administers the Local Welfare Provision payments that enable the Council to provide financial support for vulnerable people in the city who find themselves in financial crisis. 

There are 2 types payments made from this Provision:

• Crisis payments are made to claimants to meet their needs for subsistence in terms of essential food and/or clothing.
• Community Support Grants are paid to claimants to meet their immediate needs for essential furniture or white goods to sustain their housing needs and to gain greater independence within the community.

From April 2013, central government passed responsibility for Local Welfare Provision to Local Authorities.  The Government provided funding for the two years up to 31^st March 2015.  The Council found the resources to continue the scheme into 2015/16. However, the scale of the cuts imposed by central government on the Council and the demands to protect children  and adult social care for the most vulnerable means that the Council will not have the resources to continue the Provision beyond March 2016.

We are consulting on this proposal as part of the Council’s consultation on its budget 2016+. More information on the budget 2016+ consultation and how you can respond can be found at (hyperlink).   However, because of the scale of demand we have had for this Provision and the needs we have been addressing we believe that it is important to consult specifically and in greater detail on this proposal.

You can let us know your views by completing this questionnaire: (hyperlink on Be Heard).

You can also send your views in by writing by letter to

• Tanya Faruki, Exit to LWP Consultation, Customer Services Division Economy Directorate, Benefits Direct Post (WS) PO Box 16328 Birmingham B2 2XY

or by email to Tanya.Faruki@birmingham.gov.uk.