Introduction
New Report – End Furniture Poverty – Cost-Benefit Analysis of Furnished Tenancies and Local Welfare Assistance
This report, commissioned by End Furniture Poverty (EFP), explores the benefits of Local Welfare Assistance (LWA) schemes and furnished tenancies in tackling furniture poverty, which affects 9% of the UK population. LWA schemes provide crisis support, such as furniture and fuel vouchers, reducing demand on homelessness services, health systems, and social services while delivering significant economic returns for local authorities and the public purse.
Furnished tenancies help prevent furniture poverty, promote tenancy sustainability, and reduce costs for tenants and landlords, with additional benefits like improved health, educational engagement, and work readiness. The report calls for the expansion of these initiatives, including legislation to ensure all social housing tenants have access to furnished tenancies, and introduces EFP’s “Furniture Flex” offer to simplify implementation for social landlords.
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Discover guides, toolkits and case studies that build on this topic
The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Matrix is a practical tool designed to help local authorities understand, assess and respond to the potential impacts of climate change and extreme weather on waste services and supporting infrastructure.
The matrix considers a range of climate-related hazards, including heatwaves, flooding and extreme cold, and their potential implications for collection services, household waste and recycling centres, transfer stations, operational depots and key supply chain facilities. It provides a high-level checklist of both short- and longer-term adaptation and mitigation measures that authorities can consider to strengthen the resilience and continuity of their services.
Drawing on research, case studies and stakeholder engagement, the matrix brings together practical actions and considerations in one place. It is not intended to prescribe a single approach; rather, it provides a flexible framework that local authorities can adapt to reflect their own climate risks, infrastructure, service models, geography and local circumstances.
The toolkit also highlights opportunities to embed climate resilience into existing organisational processes and decision-making, rather than treating adaptation as a standalone activity. This includes considering resilience measures through procurement and contract management, budget and capital planning, policy and strategy reviews, asset management, service transformation programmes and wider operational planning.
By using the matrix as a prompt for discussion, review and forward planning, local authorities can identify vulnerabilities, prioritise appropriate interventions and progressively build greater resilience into waste services, infrastructure and supply chains.
How can councils help shape the energy infrastructure needed to support housing, regeneration and local growth?
Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESP), led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), introduce a new regional layer of energy planning across England, Scotland and Wales. They will help shape where and when energy infrastructure investment takes place, with significant implications for local growth and decarbonisation ambitions.
With NESO inviting participation in RESP Strategic Boards and Working Groups, this guide helps local and combined authorities consider what they need to put in place to take an effective role in regional energy planning.
Drawing on interviews with local authorities, it sets out practical approaches to:
- establishing clear governance, responsibilities and decision-making
- coordinating priorities and representation across a region
- using local evidence to influence infrastructure planning
- building capacity and sharing expertise
- aligning energy investment with local growth and decarbonisation priorities.
An accompanying executive summary provides a concise overview for senior leaders and elected members, explaining why RESP matters, the risks of limited engagement and the organisational arrangements needed to respond effectively.
The guide was funded by West Midlands Combined Authority and draws on learning from the Planning Regional Infrastructure in a Digital Environment (PRIDE) project.
UPDATED – 21 September 2026 – Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool
The Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool has been developed by Local Partnerships in collaboration with the Local Government Association (LGA) to provide councils with a straightforward and consistent approach for calculating their carbon baseline and annual emissions reporting.
For assistance and feedback, please email ghgaccounting@localpartnerships.gov.uk
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