Save our local safety net

Since March 2020, with the help of our supporters and networks, we’ve secured over £3.5 billion in funding. This has enabled families in crisis to keep their bills paid, their heating on, and food on the table. However, these funds are temporary and come with a looming deadline. 

We need to save our local safety net. With national funding ending in September, most local crisis support schemes are at risk of disappearing, leaving families in crisis with nowhere to turn. 

Councils are under immense pressure due to the cost of living crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic. Without proper funding, they can't allocate resources to where they're needed most. 

With more families forced to make tough choices, we need the Government to fund local crisis support schemes long-term. No parent should have to choose between feeding their child and paying the electricity bill. 

We are asking MPs to write to or speak with the Chancellor, urging her to extend funding for the Household Support Fund as soon as possible. It’s crucial that there is no gap in this vital safety net over the winter, while a long-term, sustainable plan for local crisis support is developed. Families facing financial crisis need somewhere to turn—take action now.  

 Our inquiry into the future of local crisis support 

We are holding an inquiry on the future of local welfare and crisis support. We want to explore how support can be improved for individuals and families facing financial hardship, if local authorities receive long-term funding. And how local authorities can work with the voluntary and community sector (VCS) to achieve better outcomes for people in need if they are provided with the sustainability to better plan schemes and partnerships. 

Our inquiry questions aim to cover both what the implications of the Household Support Fund ending are and what the future could look like if sustainable long-term funding was provided and local authorities and communities had the time and flexibility to design how they delivered crisis support in their area. 

We welcome responses from both local authorities and VCS organisations. If you visit our inquiry page you can find more information as well as links to the surveys or downloadable copies if you would prefer to submit your response as a document. 

Join us to make a difference. 

Sign up and add your organisations name to our webpage and become part of the movement for change. You can read more about what we are calling for in our briefing document. 

The Save Our Local Safety Net campaign is supported by the following organisations: 

The Children’s Society
Barnardo’s 
Carers Trust 
The Trussell Trust 
End Furniture Poverty 
Turn2Us 
Islington Council 
Save the Children 
Food Matters 
Resolve Poverty 
Independent Food Aid Network 
Step Change 
Sustain 
Lloyds Bank Foundation 
North East Child Poverty Commission