ONE in five councils in England are no longer offering support to help struggling families buy essential furniture and white goods, according to a charity working in that field.

End Furniture Poverty said today that 13 million people in England can no longer obtain grants to help them pay for food, fuel and furniture as part of the Local Welfare Assistance scheme. 

Funding provided by the government to the scheme, which is delivered by local councils, has instead been diverted to free school meal vouchers or other support during the pandemic, the charity found.