The 'Supporting People' programme

The 'Supporting People' programme was launched by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (and subsequently moved to the Department of Communities and Local Government). It was intended to support vulnerable people to live independently and to avoid issues such as homelessness or admissions to institutional care.

The programme was funded by central government and was run and delivered by local government and the voluntary sector. The programme brought together several funding streams, including support provided through the housing benefit system, into a single grant for local authorities to fund a variety of services.

The grant was ring-fenced and, despite initial estimates suggesting that the funding stream might be between £250–£750 million, the final sum allocated to local authorities was £1.8 billion.

In subsequent years, the level of funding was reduced and local authorities were encouraged to find efficiencies.