Member News
By Tony Grew - 24th June 2011
The government has published its response to its consultation on changes to local welfare services.
As part of the Welfare Reform Bill, funds for Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for general living expenses will be transferred to local authorities and devolved administrations by April 2013.
The government response acknowledges "understandable concerns about how the new services will operate on the ground" but also highlights "excellent examples of projects run both by social enterprise groups and charities that are already providing high quality support to vulnerable groups".
The department for work and pensions said strong partnerships between central and local government, community groups, charities and individuals will be key to proper delivery of services.
Local communities will be asked to develop and deliver local services tailored to meet the needs of their most vulnerable members and challenge local service providers to design innovative and creative schemes.
Pensions minister Steve Webb said: "For too long people have been let down by a disconnected welfare service and this is the first step in empowering local communities to design and deliver local services tailored to meet the needs of their most vulnerable members.
"This evidence will assist the development of the new services and demonstrates the potential for local innovation, strengthening and developing partnerships between local government and community based organisations."
The evidence on Community Care Grants indicates:
* The operation of a highly discretionary scheme remotely may not deliver the best use of a limited resource
* The lack of integration into the wider social care agenda means overall the scheme is likely to be poorly targeted – relying on people to apply may mean that some of the most vulnerable are not supported, and
* Modern social security structures are no longer the right place to deliver what is essentially a social care package.
The changes are desrcibed as being "at the heart of localism and the Big Society agenda".
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