Social Fund Reform

EDM number 1633 in 2010-12, proposed by Kate Green on 21/03/2011.
Categorised under the topic of Working age benefits.

That this House notes that proposals to reform the Social Fund through the abolition of community care grants and crisis loans for general living expenses, and their replacement witha system of localised provision through non-ring-fenced funding to local authorities, could restrict emergency financial support for individuals and families when they need it most; further notes that localisation at a time of substantial pressure on local authority resources could lead to severe reductions of access to any equivalent assistance at all if the money is not ring-fenced, meaning that vulnerable families and individuals could face a postcode lottery of different entitlements in different locations; further notes that the Social Fund is a targeted intervention which can enable people to move to independent living after hospital stays and to resettle successfully following homelessness, and provides necessities for families to build a new home after a crisis; urges the Government to heed concerns expressed by organisations such as Family Action, Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice, Community Links, Disability Alliance, Gingerbread, Homeless Link, RNIB, Shelter, Save the Children and Buttle UK (formerly The Frank Buttle Trust), that cuts to the Social Fund may mean that families have nowhere else to turn and existing welfare grants schemes could be swamped; and calls on the Government to rethink reform of the Social Fund whilst other fundamental reform of the welfare system, including the introduction of the Universal Credit takes place so as to ensure that people are not left without a welfare safety net at this time.

This motion has been signed by a total of 59 MPs.