24/03/2011 – Lasa’s response to the budget
Welfare rights and technology charity Lasa today (23 March) welcomed the announcement in the budget about Gift Aid, which will be a benefit for many charities. Lasa warned, however, that it will bring little relief to welfare advice charities who are experiencing a 'double whammy' at the moment: an increase in demand but a decrease in local authority funding.
Paul Treloar, Director of Policy and Communications at Lasa, said:
"While we welcome the announcement on Gift Aid, it is of little comfort to welfare rights organisations that don't traditionally get donations from the public.
"We are concerned that in the current economic climate, many people who rely on welfare rights charities for expert advice and support will not have access to the services they need.
"That means people could lose out on the benefits and advice on essential services like housing that they need to survive. It is in no-one's interests to have more people on the economic fringes of society. Lasa is keen to work with central and local government, as well as welfare rights agencies, to try to find solutions to the challenges that we face."
ENDS
For more information, contact Liz Nightingale, tel 020 7275 8759, email liz.nightingale@freelancepr.org, or Paul Treloar, Director of Policy and Communications at Lasa, tel 0207 426 4484 or email ptreloar@lasa.org.uk