Local authority crisis schemes 'failing to support families'

A study by The Children's Society and the Church of England found that local authority-run schemes to provide food, fuel and furniture to people in crisis, known as local welfare assistance schemes are helping relatively few people compared to the former Social Fund, leaving voluntary and other statutory agencies trying to fill the gap.

The report, Not Making Ends Meet, concludes that a lack of publicity, bureaucratic hurdles, and restrictive eligibility criteria appear to be deterring people from applying help under the schemes.

Instead, people needing help are relying on a "patchwork of local crisis support networks including food banks, with effective and consistent provision varying from one area to another".

One mother fleeing domestic violence with her children told the report's authors that she barely ate for five weeks while she waited for her new benefit claim to be processed and that if it hadn't been for financial help from friends and family she probably would have returned to her abuser.