LGA Responds To Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty Report

Responding to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s annual UK Poverty report, which finds that millions of people on the lowest incomes would need to double their income just to escape poverty, Cllr Pete Marland, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Economy and Resources Board, said:

“We have long called for a sufficiently resourced national safety net for low-income households and those who cannot work, as this report recommends, allowing councils to target vital local welfare support to the most vulnerable.

“The Household Support Fund has enabled councils to significantly expand local support for people facing hardship. This includes providing grants for energy and food, supplying essential furniture and white goods, paying for energy efficiency improvements, funding food banks and offering food vouchers for children during school holidays.

“Given demand for this support remains at record levels, councils are united in the view that the Household Support Fund, which is currently due to end in March, must be extended for at least another year.

“Ultimately, councils want to shift the focus from providing crisis support to investing in preventative services which improve residents' financial resilience and life chances. However, without an urgent extension of the Household Support Fund, there is an immediate risk of more households falling into financial crisis, homelessness and poverty.”