As part of a Lloyds Bank Foundation funded ‘Local Welfare Safety Net’ project, the Welfare Benefits Unit and Citizens Advice York carried out interviews with 30 York residents on their experiences of navigating discretionary support and Council Tax Support.

The report highlights the crucial role local welfare provision plays in helping people through financial hardship.

The report also makes six recommendations for York based on residents’ feedback. Some of the residents who took part in this research went on to become Community Researchers in participatory work facilitated by Lived Insights and Healthwatch York.

Community researchers, including those with personal lived experience of poverty, and homelessness, conducted a study to evaluate the local welfare safety net in York.

The report shares findings and recommendations adoptable by both local and national government, but equally the wider safety net including the VCSE sector – from trauma informed practices to improving the systems that sit behind individuals interactions with the welfare and safety net support system.

The report was commissioned by the Welfare Benefits Unit as part of the Improving the Local Welfare safety Net report, a partnership project of 7 local organisations, funded by the Lloyds Bank Foundation.

“The biggest takeaway was a massive boost to our confidence and self-esteem… working together to find solutions to the problems for the people by the people.” — Community Researcher.

Following our Crisis and Resilience Fund event on 11 May 2026, York-based community artist and facilitator Stephen Lee Hodgkins created these wonderful ‘visual minutes’, capturing the main points of the talks and discussions. Big thanks to our partner, the University of York, for funding this piece.