London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, GB distributes direct aid with Cash Perks messaging service

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, GB Cash Perks Aid

Complete

The council's cash payment system was deemed too complex and slow to help low-income households. Local officials worked with Cash Perks on a pilot program for small grants via text message. Participants without bank accounts received text messages with instructions on how to withdraw between £10 and £500 from ATMs. The Cash Perks system allowed bulk payment processing by the council and recipients instantly accessed funds for essential goods.

Payment Processing Health & Human Services Pilot / POC Outbreak / COVID Community Services

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, GB

London borough in England

United Kingdom

Links

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham: A ‘cash first’ approach to hardship grants | Local Government Association

The pandemic and the cost of living resulted in the council recognising the importance of getting hardship funds to struggling households as quickly and effectively as possible. In response, a ‘cash-first’ approach to grant provision has been adopted which involves the prioritisation of cash grants over in-kind support such as food parcels or shopping vouchers.

Attachments

Cash Perks Case Study

3.94MB

Newsworthy

Public Sector Transformation Awards 2023 - IESE Local Government and Public Sector Consultants

Nominations are open for the iESE Awards 2022, celebrating and sharing the most innovative practice in transforming local public services.

Project Succeeded

Borough officials approved the ongoing use of Cash Perks for programs like the Household Support Fund after the pilot's success. The council was the Silver Winner of the Award for Innovation at the Public Sector Transformation Awards 2023.

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