Cheshire East launches local welfare safety net

Cheshire East Council is launching a local welfare safety net to support residents facing financial hardship as a result of welfare reform.

Councillor Peter Groves, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for finance and assets, said: "The council is committed to building strong and supportive communities and encourages residents to be self-reliant and not dependent on welfare and public services.

"The council understands that this central reform may initially lead to difficult times for some of our residents, which is why we have endorsed a strategy that will positively impact on those who need our help most."

The strategy will focus on helping people to get into and stay in employment, enable access to affordable housing and develop self-reliance and financial responsibility.

The Council established the Emergency AssistanCE scheme, the purpose of which is to support vulnerable people facing immediate hardship, to prevent homelessness, and to keep families together. The scheme provides rent deposits, furniture and white goods (recycled where possible) and emergency food (through local food banks were possible). Unlike the former crisis loans and community care grants administered by the DWP, it does not provide cash.

Cheshire East received transitional funding of £612k in 2013-14 and 2014-15 for its local welfare provision through the Emergency AssistanCE scheme. In 2015-16 no specific grant for local welfare provision was received and the transitional funding of £612k was removed from the Council's budget. Given the uncertainty over future funding, the scheme under spent against its budget in the first two years and an earmarked reserve was created to provide funding for the scheme in 2015-16 and 2016-17. However, there is currently no budget or reserve to fund local welfare provision from April 2017.

The strategy, which was endorsed by the Cabinet at their meeting on Tuesday, 8th November, recommends that £300,000 is included within the Council's budget from April 2017 for local welfare net, reducing to £250,000 in 2018/19 and 2019/20. This budget will be used to fund the Emergency AssistanCE scheme and a range of intervention and prevention activities.

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Cheshire East Council
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Alan Brough
Sunday 13th November 2016 at 12:08 am
I urge you to read, and re-read this quote from Peter Groves.....

Quote - Councillor Peter Groves, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for finance and assets, said: "The council is committed to building strong and supportive communities and encourages residents to be self-reliant and not dependent on welfare and public services. - Unquote.

Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why on earth we should have to pay ANY Council Tax?

We pay a sodding fortune and this simpleton advocates that we shouldn't be dependent on public services?

We have to drive an 18 mile round trip to dispose of our rubbish since Newgate closed and we have to accept that road repair, street lighting, street cleaning, parking control, policing, care of the elderly, social care, library services and a host of other services have, over recent years been cut to the point of uselessness.

We also watch as CE embarrass themselves (and us) with their ham-fisted, failed private enterprise schemes and their six figure golden handshakes for ineptitude above and beyond the call of duty.

We hear that, after much hand wringing and belly button gazing, they are going to propose a 4 per cent increase in Council Tax for 2017.

Enough is enough! Let's consign them to the scrapheap and bring in people who are actually in touch with the wants and needs of ordinary people, who can execute a role in Public Office without losing the focus of how damn precious OUR money really is!
David Hadfield
Sunday 13th November 2016 at 7:05 pm
Well said Alan Brough ....... I totally agree.