Supporting People loses further funding

Projects funded by Supporting People face more cuts after the government announced that a further 30m would be shaved from the programme’s budget next year.

Campaigners criticised the 1.7 per cent cut from 1.72bn to 1.69bn, and predicted that the most vulnerable would suffer as staffing levels were reduced.

The National Housing Federation said the cut would be much larger in real terms because it took no account of inflation or rising staff costs. Diane Henderson, its head of care, said there was no slack in the system after three years of cuts.

She said projects would have to reduce staff, which accounted for most Supporting People funding, affecting the quality of services.

They might also have to turn their focus to less vulnerable groups who required less intensive staffing, she said, while staff pay and pensions could suffer.

Andrew Van Doorn, head of programmes at the Housing Associations Charitable Trust, said the prospect of cuts was alarming given the level of unmet need in the community.

“It’s another one of those destabilising factors for a sector which feels very uncertain about the future of Supporting People,” he added.

Gary Lashko, head of care charity Carr-Gomm, said he hoped most of the savings could come from administration and regulation.