Evaluation of Birmingham’s Cost-of-Living programme
Birmingham City Council (BCC) launched its Cost-of-Living (CoL) Programme in 2022. It is funded by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) Household Support Fund (HSF). HSF provide crisis support to vulnerable households in most need with the cost of essentials.
Background
Local authorities are provided with funding to provide support based on the following principles:
- meet immediate needs and help those who are struggling to afford household essentials including energy and water bills, food, and wider essentials
- use discretion on how to identify and support those most in need, considering a wide range of information
- work together with third parties including, where necessary and appropriate, other local services.
In 2024, DWP allowed local authorities to use part their funding to evaluate to interventions they commissioned using HSF monies to capture local learning and best practice to complement the national evaluation of HSF completed by IPSOS UK.
BCC commissioned City-REDI and Loconomy to evaluate their Cost-of-Living programme with a particular focus on preventive interventions.
Authorities can also use funding to support households with housing costs where existing housing support does not meet this need, and to supplement provision with signposting, advice and preventative support.
Timescales: February to June 2025
Objectives
Objectives
The evaluation focused on five key issues of interest were identified by Birmingham City Council:
- Addressing Financial Crisis by introducing better financial planning, income maximisation, and lower utility costs.
- Prevention of Crisis by moving people away from crisis into employment.
- Services Working Together through the close collaboration between activities including Warm Welcome, Energy and Food Security, Benefits Maximisation and Employment.
- Inclusive Services across the whole city ensuring a focus on particular groups of residents in need of support.
- Building Resilience by investing in the Cost-of-Living support infrastructure across the city for the longer term.
The Team
The Team
- George Bramley (City-REDI lead)
- Ian Dudfield (Loconomy lead)
- Alex Ross (Loconomy)
- Archie Rose (Loconomy)
- Tom Burton (City-REDI)
- Daniel Jin (City-REDI)
- Annum Rafique (City-REDI)
- Ifor Jones (Loconomy)
- Anne Green (Loconomy)
Project lead contact details:
Project Support contact details:
Mashkura Begum (Loconomy)