Today (Thursday, 26 February), councillors at the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee approved procurement of a data-led system that will allow more targeted support for low-income families in order to address and prevent poverty.
In May 2025, the final report of the Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission recommended helping low-income individuals and households to ensure they are receiving all the money they are legally entitled to and also reduce their avoidable financial outgoings.
This process, known as ‘income maximalisation’, aims to help tackle financial hardship by preventing crisis, stabilising household budgets and supporting residents to become more financially resilient. However, until now income maximisation support in Cambridgeshire has primarily relied on residents proactively seeking help, often at the point of crisis.
Councillors heard that a new data-led system would lead to more systematic and earlier identification of those who would benefit from income maximisation – which evidence shows is one of the best ways of tackling poverty over the longer term.
The new data-led system will be delivered in collaboration with the district and city councils across Cambridgeshire and is expected to help:
- Identify missed benefits– such as those that should be claiming national benefits like Pension Credit, but are not doing so
- Increase access to Free School Mealsby notifying eligible families not currently receiving this support, with the knock-on effect of also securing additional pupil premium funding for schools
- Identify geographic pockets of need at a hyper-local levelto support the planning and delivery of other council services
South Cambridgeshire District Council have already adopted such a system, and in the last 12 months has secured nearly 1,000 additional claims for residents which are worth over £500k to residents in their first year alone, with a lifetime value of nearly £4 million based on average claim lengths.
The committee unanimously approved procurement of the new system for an annual cost of between £200-£220k, for a 3-year period (for a total contract value of £600k-£660k).
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that the full cost can be paid for using funding provided to the council by the Government’s new Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Data-led systems used in other areas have shown a return on investment of over £400 for each £1 spent. This new platform will enable the council to focus on preventing residents from falling into poverty by building their financial resilience, reducing their future vulnerability and the need for subsequent more costly crisis interventions.
Following the approval of the Business Plan and Budget for 2026-27 earlier this month, the council has committed to ensuring fairness and opportunity wherever we can by investing in targeted interventions that help move people out of poverty and build long-term financial stability and independence. Procurement of this new system is a key milestone in delivering on this ambition for the people of Cambridgeshire.
Councillor Alison Whelan, chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “In recent years Cambridgeshire has seen growing inequality, with cost-of-living pressures impacting on peoples’ ability to heat their homes, eat healthily and maintain good mental health.
“I’m really pleased that the decision taken today will enable us to identify residents at risk of and experiencing financial hardship. These insights will enable us to provide targeted support that helps low-income households in the present and empowers them to build financial resilience for the future.
“Procurement of a new data-led system may not seem like an exciting development at first glance. But families across Cambridgeshire will feel a real benefit in their pockets, as a direct result of this work.
