LGA responds to final extension of Covid Local Support Grant

"This latest continuation of funding will help councils to provide much-needed support to low income households at risk of poverty and financial hardship, including being able to provide further targeted help to families entitled to Free School Meals during the summer holiday period. Councils can now plan ahead into the early autumn."


Responding to the Government today announcing a final extension of its Covid Local Support Grant, which will make a further £160 million available to families in England until the end of September, Cllr Sharon Taylor, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, said:

“Local leaders are led by the needs of their residents and councils have demonstrated through the pandemic that they are best placed to deliver services at pace for their local communities, if empowered and resourced to do so.

“This latest continuation of funding will help councils to provide much-needed support to low income households at risk of poverty and financial hardship, including being able to provide further targeted help to families entitled to Free School Meals during the summer holiday period. Councils can now plan ahead into the early autumn.

“As we move into recovery councils would like to be able to place greater emphasis on promoting resilience and developing opportunities for their more deprived households. To ensure that we are able to best address the underlying drivers of disadvantage and break cycles of poverty in the longer term, there is a need for sustainable, preventative financial advice and support that will strengthen households’ capability and wellbeing and prevent crises from recurring.

“This is why the LGA is working with government and partners to identify how best to enable councils to provide more long-term integrated, preventative support to low-income households in the forthcoming Spending Review.”