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. 

The scheme is open to all residents of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but almost 10 per cent of local authorities in England have stopped providing the grants, according to responses to freedom of information requests by the group.

End Furniture Poverty head of policy Claire Donovan said: “We know from the huge increases in foodbank use that people are really struggling. 

“If they can’t afford food, how can they afford to replace a broken cooker? And with the increase to fuel bills and to National Insurance contributions, along with rising inflation, the need for support is urgent.”

The group is calling for the government to provide long-term and ring-fenced funding for local welfare assistance. 

A government spokesperson said: “We recognise people are facing pressures with the cost of living, which is why we are providing support worth around £12 billion this financial year and next.
 
“Our £500 million Household Support Fund is helping the most vulnerable with essential costs this winter, councils have been given an extra £65m to support low income households with rent arrears and we are making an additional £3.5bn available for them to maintain and improve their services.”