The council is making clear it has no intention of telling poor families to leave the city and live in cheaper areas, as recently reported in the media.
A council report upon which these reports are based contains no reference to telling families to move, as media stories have suggested.
The full council report was presented to the Neighbourhoods, Communities and Equalities Committee on the 23 November. The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion report recommendations (PDF 92KB) seek to help people cope with the government’s welfare reforms.
It makes six recommendations:
- creating an early warning system for households who may face crisis in the future as a result of the welfare reforms and an increase in intensive support for those families based on the model currently being used with families affected by the benefit cap
- continuing the financial inclusion commission through until April 2017 when a comprehensive third sector commission will commence
- enabling council staff and members of the third sector who work with households affected by welfare reform to have honest and open conversations about where they can afford to live and employment support
- preparations for the introduction of Universal Credit
- promotion of the CCG commissioned wellbeing service to customers affected by welfare reform
- employment support at a strategic and practical level including partnership working with Job Centre Plus and other local partners.