Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Summary of Submission

In recent years there has been a significant change in focus to support people via the HSF/CRF and the local schemes like Home Essentials Fund (HEF) and Tenant Support Funds.

On top of the standard support work, such as Housing Payments and support for Council Tax, the Council offer a wide ranging of support for food, clothing, bedding, carpets, oil and boilers  through CRF. The HEF has supported us to alleviate poverty and deprivation with white goods and  off grid homes and smaller energy efficient items. The Council have targeted groups for the HSF/CRRF and HEF using communications, advertising and data intelligence, conducting campaigns using software to target our resources; allowing us to target customers for the uptake of our schemes as well as Pension Credits, DWP benefits and social water and electric rates; also offering a holistic approach to support via our partnership with ReachOut.

Liverpool City Council

Summary of Submission

Liverpool City Council’s Financial Inclusion Team is transforming lives by tackling poverty, financial exclusion and the wider barriers that prevent residents from fully participating in society. Over the past 20 years the team has supported residents, securing £170.2 million in financial gains. 

Using a holistic, person-centered approach, the team provides more than financial support offering advice, advocacy and reassurance that help residents build confidence, resilience and independence. Innovative integration with Adult Social Care assessments ensures vulnerable residents receive proactive welfare advice and income maximisation support at the earliest opportunity.

Working closely with council services, elected members and community partners, the team delivers accessible, joined-up support that reduces inequality, prevents crisis and creates sustainable outcomes. By restoring dignity, enhancing well being and connecting people to opportunity, Liverpool’s Financial Inclusion Team exemplifies excellence in social inclusion.

Marston Holdings

Summary of Submission

Over the past 12 months, Marston Holdings has embedded social value into every aspect of its business, delivering measurable benefits for communities, colleagues and partners across the UK. Guided by its values of ‘People People’ and ‘Doing Things Right’, the company has donated £92,700 to charities, contributed 296 volunteering hours, donated 125 laptops to tackle digital exclusion, created four apprenticeships and delivered debt advice surgeries, financial wellbeing workshops and awareness training on Loan Sharks and Modern Slavery. Through strategic partnerships with organisations including The Passage, Cardinal Hume Centre, Seashell Trust, Woman’s Trust and the London Basketball Association, Marston Holdings has supported people experiencing homelessness, financial hardship, domestic abuse and social exclusion. Colleague-led, skills-based volunteering has provided charities with professional expertise while strengthening employee engagement and wellbeing. By combining long-term partnerships, practical support and preventative initiatives, Marston Holdings continues to demonstrate that creating positive social impact is fundamental to its culture, business strategy and long-term success. 

Mid Sussex District Council and Welfare Together

Summary of Submission

MSDC and Welfare Together have developed a highly successful partnership that places residents at the heart of support services, helping those facing financial hardship, housing challenges and social isolation. By combining local authority expertise with Welfare Together’s trusted community-based approach, the partnership provides early intervention, personalised advice and practical assistance to some of the district's most vulnerable households.

Working collaboratively, the organisations have strengthened access to welfare benefits, debt support, energy advice and wider wellbeing services, ensuring residents receive joined-up support tailored to their individual circumstances. Through proactive outreach, targeted engagement and seamless referrals, the partnership removes barriers that often prevent people from seeking help.

The initiative has delivered measurable outcomes, improving financial resilience, reducing crisis situations and helping residents maintain independence. By fostering inclusion, dignity and opportunity, MSDC and Welfare Together have created a model of collaborative working that demonstrates the transformative impact of partnership in supporting stronger, more resilient communities.

Royal Borough of Greenwich

Summary of Submission

Royal Borough of Greenwich launched a pilot team to support residents holistically across benefits, debt, housing and employability support including proactively reaching out to residents who, based on available council data, we thought might be struggling. Our goal was to prevent them from hitting a crisis and helping them to flourish with whatever support they needed. This submission highlights the successes of this pilot team and the positive impact on residents and staff. 

Salford City Council

Summary of Submission

Salford City Council’s Council Tax and Better Off Service has redesigned its approach around social inclusion, ensuring residents experiencing poverty and deprivation can access support quickly, easily and with dignity. Serving nearly 140,000 households, the service removes barriers through innovative, data-led approaches that proactively identify need and provide personalised support. An automated Council Tax Reduction scheme uses Universal Credit data to award support without applications, helping more than 2,000 additional households receive assistance. The service also delivers holistic support at critical life stages, including an end-of-life scheme developed with Marie Curie that combines financial relief with dedicated, compassionate support. Through its Better Off Engage model, officers work in local communities to address financial, health and employment challenges. Strong partnerships, ethical debt practices and targeted interventions have increased support uptake, prevented crisis, reduced reliance on enforcement and helped vulnerable residents achieve better outcomes. This integrated approach creates a fairer, more inclusive service for local communities. 

South Cambridgeshire District Council

Summary of Submission

South Cambridgeshire District Council tackled hidden rural poverty and isolation among older residents through a targeted community outreach programme delivered by a small, multi-agency team. Using benefits data to identify low-income residents aged over 70, the Council invited those most at risk to local Community Hub events, supported by personal telephone calls that encouraged attendance and built trust. Across six events, 192 residents took part, far exceeding previous engagement levels. More than £13,000 in Household Support Fund payments was distributed, while 33 residents were identified as eligible for Attendance Allowance, worth over £130,000 a year in additional income at no cost to the Council. The programme also strengthened lasting community connections, with many attendees continuing to visit their local hubs, reducing isolation, and improving wellbeing. Delivered through close collaboration with council, NHS, and voluntary sector partners, the initiative demonstrates how targeted action and local partnerships can uncover hidden need and change lives.