Church of England report shows people are being failed by local authority schemes

The schemes which are known as Local Welfare Assistance, aim to provide food, fuel and furniture to people in crisis.

However, the report, Not Making Ends Meet, from The Children’s Society and the Church of England found that increasing numbers of destitute people are turning instead to food banks and other voluntary agencies for help.

The Children’s Society chief executive Matthew Reed said in a statement: “Families in need of financial crisis support are often experiencing one of the hardest times of their life, such as fleeing domestic violence or experiencing a serious mental or physical health problem.

“It’s vital that when they need help to buy food or nappies, put money on the electricity meter or replace a broken fridge that they can access this help quickly and easily. Instead, families who are in desperate need may find there is nowhere to turn.

“Local charities are having to step in to provide the safety net that the government and councils used to, relying on donations and volunteers to do so.

“Sadly with more and more people facing crisis, particularly as Universal Credit rollout continues apace, it’s becoming increasingly urgent for local crisis support to be coordinated and more consistent so that vulnerable people don’t fall through the gaps.”

The report concluded that a lack of publicity, bureaucratic hurdles, and restrictive eligibility criteria…