Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet is poised to endorse a new initiative involving an £11.8 million annual fund aimed at assisting households experiencing financial crises. This fund, named the Crisis and Resilience Fund, is introduced by the Government as a successor to the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payments, and is expected to be operational for at least three years.
Unlike the Household Support Fund, which primarily focused on helping residents manage the cost of living, the Crisis and Resilience Fund specifically targets immediate financial emergencies and aims to foster longer-term financial stability to prevent future crises. Its objectives include providing aid for unexpected expenses or income loss and supporting strategies that build financial resilience over time.
In developing this new approach, Liverpool City Council has collaborated extensively with various partners and local organizations. These include council services, charities, and community groups such as Feeding Liverpool, Citizens Advice Liverpool, End Furniture Poverty, and Liverpool Access to Advice Network (LATAN). Their involvement has been instrumental in crafting a cohesive and practical support system that aligns with the lived experiences and needs of local residents. The collaborative effort intends to simplify access to appropriate support, especially during urgent or complex situations.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund is composed of four key elements: emergency crisis payments for urgent essential needs; housing payments to cover short-term rent, deposits, or tenancy setup costs; resilience services which assist with budgeting, debt management, employment advice, and digital skills; and community coordination to enhance inter-agency cooperation and improve service accessibility. Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation, Cllr Ruth Bennett, highlighted the Fund’s role in fortifying Liverpool’s tradition of aiding vulnerable households and emphasized the importance of empowering residents with tools such as debt advice, budgeting help, employment support, and digital literacy to better handle unforeseen financial challenges. She also pointed to complementary government measures including the removal of the two-child benefit cap, benefiting thousands of Universal Credit claimants, and the extended provision of free school meals, which offer substantial financial relief for families. The Council Tax Support scheme and ongoing funding for voluntary sector organizations continue to be an integral part of Liverpool’s support framework. The Cabinet is scheduled to review the report concerning this fund on 14 April
Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.