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<p>Local Authorities in England have the flexibility and power to use the funding
they receive from the annual Local Government Finance Settlement. We do not have robust
data on the number of Local Authorities providing a local welfare scheme.</p><p> </p><p>The
Government is putting significant additional support in place for those on the lowest
incomes from April. Subject to Parliamentary approval, working age benefits will rise
by 6.7% while the Basic and New State Pensions will be uprated by 8.5% in line with
earnings, as part of the ‘triple lock”.</p><p> </p><p>To further support low-income
households with increasing rent costs, the government will raise Local Housing Allowance
rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents, benefitting 1.6m low-income households
by on average £800 a year in 24/25. Additionally, the Government will increase the
National Living Wage for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 representing
an increase of over £1,800 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the
National Living Wage.</p><p> </p><p>The current Household Support Fund runs until
the end of March 2024, and the government continues to keep all its existing programmes
under review in the usual way.</p>
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