MONEY spent to help residents in urgent need of support in Warrington decreased by £154,000 over a four-year period.

Social justice charity Church Action on Poverty (CAOP) believes thousands of people are being swept further into poverty, or forced to turn to charitable organisations including food banks, as a result of cuts to crisis support.

In 2013, the Government abolished the system of emergency loans and grants previously provided, which resulted in local authorities setting up local welfare assistance schemes (LWAS).

The LWAS, run by councils, can lend a hand to residents who are in urgent need of support and have no other help available.

But CAOP says central Government funding for this form of support fell from £330 million in 2010-11 to £178 million in 2013-14.

And its research has revealed the alarming decline in LWAS resources across England.

Over the last five years, at least 28 local authorities have closed their schemes completely and almost all the remaining schemes have been drastically cut back, it states.

The assistance scheme is still operating in Warrington, with each application assessed on its own merits.

However, figures have revealed that expenditure fell from £331,000 in 2013-14 to £177,000 in 2017-18 – a drop of £154,000.

The council has had 8,961 applications for support since 2013-14, including 1,450 in 2017-18.

In relation to how the scheme is funded, it says a ‘notional’ amount for local welfare provision is included in the revenue support grant (RSG) settlement funding assessment figures – with the notional figure for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 totalling £496,588.

“It should be noted, however, that RSG is not ring-fenced funding and it is wholly open to the local authority to determine how, and in what amounts, it uses RSG funding,” said a council spokesman.

Town Hall chiefs also insist they are ‘very committed’ to offering crisis support despite the ongoing financial pressures.

“We continue to meet a range of short and medium-term needs for the most vulnerable residents of Warrington,” added the spokesman.