South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 02/03/2015

There is still time to have a say on our welfare grants consultation which runs until Saturday 21 March.

We have been running a local welfare grants scheme, funded by the government, since 2013. The scheme provides assistance to vulnerable people to help meet their urgent subsistence or financial needs as well as signposting them to other council and external advisory services.

As part of the 2015/16 Local Government Finance Settlement, the funding we receive from government for the welfare grant scheme is changing after the 2014/15 financial year.

We are currently consulting on three proposals. In the meantime the current grants scheme will stay in place until a final decision is made in the summer.

The options are:

Option 1: Continue with the current scheme. When the government funding changes we would need to identify corresponding savings/income to continue to fund a local welfare grant scheme.

Option 2: Amend the scheme and continue to provide support for the most vulnerable residents but reduce our on-going costs by changing the policy to ensure that the people who need urgent immediate assistance continue to be supported by a grant. As funding arrangements are changing we would need to identify corresponding savings/income to continue to fund a scheme.

Option 3: End the current scheme in line with many other local authorities.

Further information about the welfare grants scheme consultation is available on our website www.southglos.gov.uk/consultation where you can complete an online survey.

Alternatively, you can email us at consultation@southglos.gov.ukor call 01454 868899.

Write to: FREEPOST Plus RTCT-JXLE-EET, South Gloucestershire Council, Corporate Research and Consultation Team, Welfare Grants Consultation, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, BRISTOL, BS15 9TR.