Shropshire Council

Local Support and Prevention Fund

  • Period: 12 March 2015 - 23 April 2015
  • Status: Closed
  • Audiences: Everyone
  • Topics: Budgets, Benefits and welfare
  • Type: Public

Introduction

This consultation seeks your views on the Local Support and Prevention Fund (LSPF) Policy which details the proposed governance of how awards under this scheme will be administered for Shropshire residents.

Background

The Government abolished the Social Fund, previously administered by the Department for Works and Pensions, from April 2013.  We received funding in order to be able to offer a Local Welfare Provision to replace the financial assistance previously available through Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants.

We have to decide who may be eligible for financial assistance through Local Welfare Provision and under what circumstances an award will be made.  Our Executive has agreed a draft Policy for the way in which it is proposed Local Welfare Provision will be offered in Shropshire. The name given to the local scheme is the Local Support and Prevention Fund.

Once agreed, the Policy will be used to determine the amount of financial help available to Shropshire residents going forward to be given through two types of grant:

  • Support Payments (intended to assist people to establish themselves or maintain their independence in the community)
  • Prevention payments (intended to provide quick and effective support to people who require help to meet an immediate short term need)

The number and value of both forms of grants that may be applied for will be limited. The support offered under the Local Support and Prevention Fund is not solely money based but identifies other support and help to qualifying individuals through other services of the council, direct provision, advice, support agencies and third party bodies such as the wider charitable sector.

Purpose of this consultation

In considering how this scheme should be run we believe that the best proposal is not to duplicate the system of loans available through the original Social Fund but to provide all support through grants.  The Budgeting Loans currently provided through the Social Fund will not therefore form part of the Local Welfare Provision. We are undertaking this public consultation so that the views of local residents and organisations can be taken into account when agreeing the final Policy.

Please read the draft policy attached to this page and then click on the 'How to get involved' tab to give us your thoughts in our short online questionnaire.

Documents

Click on the green button to access our short online questionnaire where you can share your thoughts on the draft Local Support and Prevention Fund policy.

Go to the questionnaire »

Data protection

Information collected in our surveys will only be used by us (Shropshire Council) to inform the immediate and future provision of our services. The information you provide will be kept confidential in accordance with our Privacy Policy. It will not be shared outside of Shropshire Council. Information collected via our online surveys (hosted on the Surveymonkey website) will be stored on SurveyMonkey’s servers in the United States of America and SurveyMonkey gives an undertaking never to disclose the survey questions or your responses to others without permission.