Social security in Greater Manchester
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GMPA is working to support local authorities and other stakeholders to advance conversations about social security provision across the city region. This involves creating opportunities to develop policy thinking and ensuring that local welfare powers (e.g. Council Tax Support and local welfare assistance schemes) are fully utilised to help address poverty. We are also interested in whether Greater Manchester should seek further powers from central government over welfare provision, and whether we can learn lessons from social security approaches in other parts of the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have been working to support local authorities and their partners to think about how they can make best use of hardship funding.
We are providing two webinars for anyone who wants to find out more about how local welfare assistance schemes can be strengthened. The first is for local councillors on March 4th (book here) and the second on March 23rd is targeted at all stakeholders interested in improving local welfare support (book here).
Please get in touch if you would like to learn more about this work.