A COUNCILLOR has criticised the Government for passing on a crisis care scheme and cutting funding for it.
Kirklees Council is now responsible for Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, previously run by the Department for Work and Pensions.
The DWP scheme ends in April and Kirklees will run it with the help of the voluntary sector.
Among those to benefit are people fleeing domestic violence, people with disabilities needing help for social care costs or someone whose home has been flooded and they need white goods.
The DWP received around 15,000 applications a year from Kirklees and 9,000 were accepted as needing help, but there was no money for 2,000.
The Government spent £1.35m per year in Kirklees on the grants and loans, but is giving Kirklees just short of £1.12m.
Clr David Sheard, cabinet member for resources, said of the scheme: “The Government has now passed it over to us but is giving us 10% less to do it. We need to help people as best we can.”
Kirklees’ cabinet backed the scheme and will run it from April.
