Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need for a funded strategy for local crisis support in England to ensure that councils can respond effectively to the needs of low-income households.

Councils continue to have the flexibility to use funding from the Local Government Finance Settlement to provide local welfare assistance.

Over £2bn in support has to date been allocated to Local Authorities in England via the Household Support Fund to support those most in need.

The Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”.

To further support low-income households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.