Lambeth Council and Lightning Reach: expanding support for residents in financial hardship

March 2025

Rising living costs have left many Lambeth residents struggling to stay afloat, with nearly a third of the council’s 23,000 tenants falling into rent arrears. While various support schemes existed, many tenants were unaware of them or faced complex application processes. To tackle this, Lambeth Council partnered with Lightning Reach to create a streamlined, accessible way for residents to find and apply for financial support in one place.

The collaboration has lead to significant outcomes for Lambeth residents

Significant impact for Lambeth Council residents

Since launching the partnership, the results have been substantial. Over the last 3 years, 4,810 residents have accessed support through the Lightning Reach portal, with £234,000 already delivered to Lambeth residents. Additionally, residents have identified over £359,000 in benefits eligibility through the portal, helping people claim financial assistance they may not have realised they were entitled to. The average recipient has received £541, with the most common areas of support being energy and utility costs, as well as food and essential household items.

Beyond the financial assistance provided, the partnership has transformed the way support is delivered. Lambeth Council’s internal teams, including income officers, now use the Lightning Reach portal to identify and apply for support on behalf of residents. Previously, this process could take up to 45 minutes per case, as officers manually searched for relevant schemes and completed multiple applications. With Lightning Reach, this has been reduced to just five minutes - an efficiency improvement of 90%.

Income Officer, Valerie, has seen first-hand the impact of this change. “The best thing about it is our tenants feel seen because they are given what they need at the right time” she explains.

Helping residents like Leah

For many Lambeth residents, the impact of this partnership has been life-changing. Leah, a former teacher, faced an unexpected financial crisis after losing her job. Suddenly, her household (including two children with additional needs) had to survive on a single income. With the rising cost of food and energy bills, Leah struggled living paycheck to paycheck. To keep warm, she resorted to using blankets, unable to afford heating.

Through the Lightning Reach portal, Leah was connected to vital support from the Teaching Staff Trust, receiving £750 in supermarket vouchers. This not only helped provide nutritious meals for her family but also freed up funds for other essential bills.

Reflecting on the assistance she received, Leah shared: “I am truly grateful for what they have done. The vouchers meant we could have a warm meal every day and pack lunches for the children.”

Looking ahead: preventing crises through early intervention

Lambeth Council remains committed to expanding and improving the ways it supports residents in financial hardship. Building on the success of the Lightning Reach partnership, the council is now working on a new initiative to prevent homelessness by promoting early intervention.

Chris Flynn, Director of Housing Needs at Lambeth Council, emphasised the importance of this approach: "Lambeth Council is proud to partner with Lightning Reach to streamline homelessness applications, ensuring residents access support early, before crises escalate. This proactive approach helps prevent homelessness and aligns with our commitment to sustainable, long-term solutions. Our collaboration is already showing early success, and we’re excited for even greater impact."

By continuing to innovate and collaborate, Lambeth Council and Lightning Reach are not only helping residents navigate financial hardship today but also laying the groundwork for a more resilient community in the future.

Join us

Want to find out more about how Lightning Reach can help your organisation? Get in touch via www.lightningreach.org/partners