Written by: Nadoya Reid, Communications and Information Officer
On Tuesday 13th January, our CEO, Nezahat Cihan, joined the launch of The Family Financial Resilience Partnership, a £2.2 million initiative aimed at helping thousands of London families access vital financial support.
The Family Financial Resilience Partnership (FFRP) is a collaboration between the GLA, London Citizens Advice and the London Legal Support Trust. The programme brings together local authorities with generalist and specialist advice agencies to deliver free, independent advice in 12 London boroughs to thousands of families through Best Start Family Hubs and Children’s Centres.
In its first year, the programme is expected to support more than 17,500 families to claim around £8 million in financial support that would otherwise go unclaimed.
Through this partnership, advice will be available on a wide range of issues that can have a profound impact on family stability, including benefits, housing, childcare, immigration, disability and employment. Funding from City Hall will enable services to train more staff and increase capacity, ensuring families can access timely, high-quality advice in places they already know and trust.
The launch comes at a critical time. More than one in three children in London, around 700,000, are living in poverty after housing costs. While the Mayor’s income maximisation campaigns and advice services have helped over 130,000 Londoners claim more than £94 million in the last three years, an estimated £4 billion in benefits still goes unclaimed across the capital each year.
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, our CEO, said: “LLST 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.”
The Family Financial Resilience Partnership builds on the Mayor of London’s wider work to support families with the cost of living, including funding free school meals, protecting free and discounted travel for children and young people, and providing food and activities during school holidays.
Click here to read more about the Family Financial Resilience Partnership.