MILLIONS of people have been left without support to buy essential household appliances after 35 local councils in England shut down their crisis schemes, new research shows. 

Local authorities can offer crisis grants through Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) schemes to people in immediate need and are typically used for fuel, food and essential white goods and furniture. 

In England, councils can decide whether to offer the scheme. New research by charity End Poverty Furniture shows that this has resulted in dozens of cash-strapped councils closing their LWA schemes.