Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of discretionary local welfare funding to tackle child deprivation and shortages of household essentials in the Heywood and Middleton North constituency.

Through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, the Government is providing long-term funding for locally delivered crisis support in England until March 2029. The Fund provides a safety net for people on low incomes who are in crisis and need immediate financial help with essential costs, while also supporting longer-term financial resilience. Local authorities have been given the funding and flexibility to design support that works for their communities, as in line with the scheme’s guidance.

No assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Crisis and Resilience Fund to tackle child deprivation and shortages of household essentials in the Heywood and Middleton North constituency.