Mayor launches new scheme to help London families on low incomes secure up to £8 million in support that they are entitled to

• The Mayor is working with partners across the capital to help London families access financial support they’re entitled to but currently not receiving

 

• The Family Financial Resilience Partnership is expected to help more than 17,500 families on low incomes claim up to £8 million in financial support which would otherwise have gone unclaimed¹

 

• Free, independent advice will be delivered across 12 London boroughs through local Best Start Family Hubs and Children’s Centres, in partnership with London Citizens Advice and the London Legal Support Trust

 

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched a new £2.2 million programme to help low-income families across the capital access millions in financial support that they are entitled to.

 

The Family Financial Resilience Partnership will provide free, independent advice to thousands of families with children on a wide range of issues, including benefits, housing, childcare, immigration, disability, and employment.

 

Working in collaboration with 12 local authorities, London Citizens Advice and the London Legal Support Trust, the £2.2 million funding from City Hall will bolster support for Londoners by enabling services to train more staff and increase capacity at Best Start Family Hubs and Children’s Centres.

 

This is expected to help more than 17,500 families in its first year, enabling them to access around £8 million in financial support which would otherwise go unclaimed.

 

The Mayor’s intervention comes as data² shows that more than one in three (35 per cent) children in London, approximately 700,000, are living in poverty after housing costs.  

 

The Family Financial Resilience Partnership is the latest part of the Mayor’s work to help Londoners secure the support that they are entitled to. Over the past three years, the Mayor’s income maximisation campaigns and advice services have already helped more than 130,000 Londoners to claim over £94 million in financial support that they are entitled to. However, with more than £4 billion in benefits still going unclaimed across the capital, too many people continue to miss out on vital help that could make a significant difference to their lives.

 

The new programme also builds on Sadiq’s wider work to support families with the cost-of-living. This includes his unprecedented funding of free school meals in London’s state primary schools, which is saving families hundreds of pounds a year while positively influencing the health and wellbeing of children and strengthening school communities; and his Holiday Hope initiative which provides food, activities and support to children and young people during school holidays. The Mayor has also protected free and discounted travel for children and young people, ensuring cost is not a barrier to accessing education or opportunities across the capital.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m determined to help London’s families cope with the cost-of-living and put more money back into household budgets. That’s why I’m investing £2.2 million in the Family Financial Resilience Partnership to ensure parents and carers across the capital can access the support that they’re entitled to and make a significant difference to their finances. From providing free school meals to children in London’s state primary schools to helping young people with activities during school holidays and protecting free and discounted travel for children and young people, I’m committed to doing all I can to support London’s families as we build a better, fairer London for all.”

 

Minister for Employment, Diana Johnson MP, said: “Every child deserves the best start in life, and that begins with families having the support they need to build financial security. By bringing good quality advice directly into Family Hubs, we're meeting parents where they are and helping them tackle debt, boost their income, and access support that makes a genuine difference to their lives. Alongside our Child Poverty Strategy which will lift 550,000 children out of poverty, this kind of joined-up approach that will help us break the cycle where a child's background determines their future."

 

Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, said: “Too many Londoners are struggling to get by each month, and we know that those pressures fall hardest on single parents, families with disabled members and families from ethnic minority backgrounds. By funding the Family Financial Resilience Partnership, we are strengthening the support available to parents and carers in places where they already turn for help. Increasing access to high-quality advice in Family Hubs and Children’s Centres will help to tackle inequality at its roots and make a significant difference to the lives of London’s families.”

 

Nezahat Cihan, CEO of London Legal Support Trust, said: "We are proud to be a part of the Family Financial Resilience Partnership, fostering collaboration between local authorities, specialist and generalist advice organisations across 12 London boroughs, thanks to GLA funding. Through a new partnership approach of placing advisors in Family Hubs and family related settings, we aim to create a more integrated service that ensures families receive support in accessible, and familiar settings. We hope that this model will influence other localities to take a similar, partnership-led approach to Life-saving and crucial advice."

 

Jonathan Mogford, Chair of London Citizens Advice, said: “Across London boroughs, local Citizens Advice are key partners with Family Hubs. Citizens Advice has deep and trusted links into the diverse communities in London impacted by hardship and other problems, so we are delighted to work with the GLA to embed and link our services to Family Hub settings, strengthening the support available to families with children/young people. We build on strong foundations and a record of working with Family Hubs.  By extending our partnership with specialist advice agencies in this way,  we can ensure that families receive comprehensive advice for needs that are often complex and very wide-ranging.”

 

Councillor Edison Huynh, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Lewisham Council, said:  “Family Hubs are a vital part of the infrastructure Lewisham have put in place to support our families. They offer a wide range of services including pre- and post-natal care for families with children aged between 0 and 19 (and up to 25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) but are also able to signpost families to services which support with financial advice, parenting, emotional wellbeing, youth provision and other services.”