Home-Start launches project to help families gain full benefits

The charity Home-Start UK is to offer families the service, called Maximising Income for Families, across all 334 areas it operates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The move follows a pilot that launched in 2009 across 25 Home-Start areas and involved two other charities, Turn2Us and Child Poverty Action Group.

Although full evaluation of the pilot will not be published until June, early evidence of success has prompted the nationwide roll out.

Another factor is the need to explain to families forthcoming benefits changes outlined in the Welfare Reform Bill.

Julie Campbell, Home-Start UK project manager for Maximising Income, said: "Major reform to the welfare system means that there has never been a more vital need to offer support to families in navigating the system.

"It is hoped that through the project, thousands of families can be helped out of financial difficulty and the inevitable stress this places on family life."

Home-Start’s 16,400 volunteers will now be offered Open College Network accredited training in helping families navigate their way through the benefit system.

This also covers tax credits, charitable grants for heating costs and children’s furniture as well as milk vouchers. Some families involved in the pilot were able to gain an extra £210 a week.

It is estimated that £5bn worth of tax credits goes unclaimed each year.

Funding for the pilot came from the former Department for Children, Schools and Families. Part of the cost of this latest roll out is being met through council budgets, as part of local efforts to combat child poverty.

The launch is not being funded by the Department for Education, although some of the Home-Start areas have managed to secure Lottery funding to offer the service to families.