Poverty and inequality are financial challenges for local authorities and threaten the cohesion of their communities.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report (“Programmes to help families facing multiple challenges”) examining the design, implementation and performance of two separate government programmes to help families address a range of challenges; the DCLG’s ‘Troubled Families Programme’ and DWP’s ‘Families with Multiple Problems Programme’. The NAO believe that the rationale for both…
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a Report on Council Tax Support produced by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The report seeks to evaluate the value for money of the Department for Communities & Local Government's (DCLG) introduction of Council Tax Support by assessing whether it achieved its policy objective of the transition to…
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s first annual report, State of the Nation 2013, sets out detailed evidence and analysis on child poverty and social mobility. Despite the commitment and efforts of Government and others, the scale and depth of progress are unequal to the social, economic and fiscal challenges. The Commission calls for…
A summary of Autumn Statement 2013 was published on 5 December.This briefing sets out a more detailed analysis of certain aspects of the Statement, including: the state of the economy, the programme for deficit reduction, planning and housing, local growth, and welfare (the AME cap). Strictly speaking, there is no ‘new news’ on the financial…
This report, available here addresses the following questions: 1.What is the extent of the problem of persistent low pay? 2.Are there significant numbers of low paid workers who remain stuck on low pay for long periods of time? 3.Do many workers ‘churn’ between low pay and better paid work? 4.Are there low paid workers who…
This briefing covers the recently published report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation titled Does Money Affect Children’s Outcomes? On the basis that there is insufficient research into the causal relationship between income and outcomes for children, the report explores at length and in significant detail the impact that money has on the wellbeing of children.…
The LGiU, in partnership with StepChange, the national debt charity, are delighted to announce The Personal Debt Summit: Living on the Edge, a free national policy conference for all LGiU members in London on 21st January 2014. Register for your free place today. The rising cost of living, low wage growth, high levels of consumer…
'- On 18 July 2013, the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee published the report of its inquiry into the private housing rented sector (“The Private Rented Sector”). - The report contained 43 specific recommendations for improving the operation of the growing private rented market whilst still allowing the market to develop…
A new report from LGiU and Mears, out today, focusses on the impact of welfare reform and other long-term trends on the relationship between tenants and landlords in social housing. Read the report here. Residents of social and council housing are far more likely to be affected by welfare changes than the wider population. As…
This briefing summarises a report produced jointly by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CiH) and the London Borough of Haringey on the impacts of the benefits cap. The report’s publication on 23 October was the cause of some considerable controversy. The benefit cap limits the total amount of welfare benefits any working age household with…
