A £12 million "Champions" campaign to help people suffering from financial exclusion was launched today by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Minister, Kitty Ussher.
The campaign will build on the existing "now lets talk money" campaign, and will work with local authorities, social landlords and other key partners to make sure people have access to basic financial services, such as safe saving, bank accounts, money advice, home contents insurance and affordable credit.
The Financial Inclusion Champions project is part of a joint initiative between the DWP and the Treasury which has already seen more than £46.5 million from a Growth Fund invested to provide over 105,000 people throughout Great Britain with affordable loans through credit unions and other organisations.
Champions will not only signpost people to existing financial services but will also work in partnership to develop new services in areas where people do not have access to the facilities others take for granted.
Launching the campaign at the financial inclusion Taskforce Conference 2008, Kitty Ussher, said:
"The Government is committed to helping the poorest members of our society gain access to services, such as basic bank accounts, safe saving, home contents insurance and affordable loans that will put their finances on a more secure footing.
"It is vital that we work with organisations who come into daily contact with some of the people we want to reach so are well placed to provide the advice, support and services people need to improve their financial situation."
The Champions campaign, along with the previous "now let's talk money" campaign and the Growth Fund, are funded through £120 million from the Financial Inclusion Taskforce. Other initiatives funded by the taskforce include £47.5millon to provide face-to-face money advice locally, run by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and a £6 million outreach pilot run by the Legal Services Commission.
Regional Financial Inclusion Champion teams are being rolled out throughout Great Britain, with teams expected to be in place by January 2009.
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