Hope 4U and City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Summary of Submission

The Bradford Community Resilience Partnership has grown from a single-funder initiative into a four-partner, cross-sector collaboration spanning energy networks, local government and the NHS. Northern Gas Networks provided founding VCMA investment; Bradford and Airedale NHS embedded the service in the maternity pathway; Bradford Council funded a food poverty response; and Northern Powergrid extended it into low carbon advice. In 2024-25, 1,136 families were referred through maternity, with 762 cases completed, a 67% conversion rate, delivering 4,507 interventions and £2.31 million in uplift, rising to £3.56 million for 1,124 families in 2025-26. The model reaches over 20 distinct communities in one of England's most diverse cities, using a trusted, stigma-free maternity setting to reach families early. Governed through defined partner roles, shared reporting and regular reviews, it offers a practical, measurable and replicable model of preventative welfare support that improves household outcomes while easing pressure on public services.

London Borough of Barnet, Sigma Connect Limited and Ascendant Solutions Limited

Summary of Submission

The London Borough of Barnet, Ascendant Solutions and Sigma Connect Limited formed a partnership to support residents facing the highest levels of Council Tax arrears and financial hardship. By combining debt recovery and welfare support into a single customer journey, the initiative focused on understanding the root causes of debt rather than relying on traditional collection methods.

The objective was to improve financial resilience, reduce hardship and re-engage with residents who had not responded to council communications for over a year. Through a targeted and supportive approach, the partnership helped residents access the support most suitable to them.

Focusing on more than £5 million of outstanding debt, we achieved a 29% positive engagement rate in the initial phase. We also identified over £1.5 million in additional monthly benefit entitlement, with participating residents receiving an average increase of £792 per month in phase one and £942 per month in phase two.

South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council

Summary of Submission

South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council worked in partnership to ensure children entitled to free school meals received the support they were missing. By combining district benefits data with county education records, the partnership identified eligible families who had not applied and contacted them through personalised letters, emails, and phone calls, offering guidance and practical support. More than 80 children from 66 families are now receiving free school meals as a result. The initiative will provide an estimated £314,000 in financial support to families over the course of their children's education, while generating more than £1 million in additional pupil premium funding for local schools. Built on strong data governance and an ambitious partnership, the project has established a sustainable approach that will continue to identify eligible families each year, helping reduce hardship, improve educational outcomes, and ensure support reaches those who need it most.

Walsall Council and Policy in Practice

Summary of Submission

Walsall Council and Policy in Practice have built an innovative partnership focused on reducing poverty, improving financial resilience and supporting vulnerable families. Aligned to Walsall’s long-term ambition to tackle deprivation and child poverty, the partnership combines policy expertise, data analytics and targeted intervention to help residents navigate complex welfare changes.

In an innovative collaboration, ahead of the removal of the Two-Child Limit, the LIFT platform was utilised to identify households affected and predict its impact. Working together, Walsall proactively contacted 805 families, offering budgeting support and connecting them with local advice services through Citizens Advice Sandwell and Walsall.

The partnership ensured residents received the right support at the right time, helping families understand their entitlement, manage financial change and avoid hardship. Together, Walsall Council and Policy in Practice demonstrate how data, collaboration and shared purpose can deliver genuine, meaningful outcomes for families in poverty.

Welfare Together and Rugby Borough Council

Summary of Submission

Rugby Borough Council and Welfare Together created an early-intervention project to find residents who were financially vulnerable but largely invisible to existing services. Rather than focusing only on people already receiving benefits, in arrears or known to the council, the partnership used data, local insight and targeted engagement to identify households living pay cheque to pay cheque who had never asked for help or did not know where to turn.

The individual ward pilot reviewed 2,431 households across 116 postcodes. Welfare Together provided personal support, benefit checks, Council Tax Reduction interventions, social tariff advice and hardship assistance. The project generated £159,236.50 in attributable financial gains, returning £15.92 for every £1 invested.

By reaching residents before hardship became debt, enforcement or crisis, the partnership improved financial resilience, supported sustainable council tax collection and reduced pressure on wider services. The model is practical, measurable and capable of being repeated in other wards.