Families in Luton have accessed more than £1 million in additional benefits and grants through a new partnership programme aimed at improving financial security, health and wellbeing.
The Healthier Wealthier Families initiative links families using Luton’s Family Hubs with specialist money advice, helping them access financial support they are entitled to but may not be aware of.
Since launching in March 2025, the scheme has supported 159 parents and families, securing a total of £1.18m in benefits and grants, an average of £7,421 per household.
The programme is led by Luton Council’s Public Health Team through the Family Hub Programme, working alongside Citizens Advice Luton and East London NHS Foundation Trust, which provides NHS mental health services in the borough.
Families are also referred through ELFT’s perinatal mental health service for parents of babies up to the age of two, as well as its child and adolescent mental health service.
HWF is designed to create a seamless referral pathway, allowing families to access welfare benefits and money advice in the same buildings where they attend routine health and family support appointments. The scheme also incorporates an Advice First Aid approach delivered by Citizens Advice Luton, giving frontline staff the tools to handle common financial queries and identify families who may need more specialist support.
Georgia Betts, interim operational lead for ELFT’s Bedfordshire and Luton perinatal mental health service, said economic pressures were having a significant impact on mental health locally.
“The economic deprivation in Luton plays a huge part in poor mental health amongst our service users, particularly as they are trying to factor in the cost of a new baby and often cannot source their own baby equipment, clothing or food,” she said.
“Being able to refer our service users into the project offers hope to them in often desperate times, and we hope to see financial concerns becoming less of a factor, a reduction in the number of food and baby bank referrals we need to do on their behalf, improved mental health outcomes and reduced avoidable referrals to the team.”
Councillor Rumi Chowdhury, Luton Council’s portfolio holder for public health, said the project had strengthened support for families at a local level.
“The Healthier Wealthier Families Project has added a key feature to the Luton Family Hubs Programme,” she said. “The ability to support families on-site and from a trusted local provider is a pivotal development in strengthening the way we help families.
“The dedicated staff take the time to support all families with a wide range of complex needs, enhancing our services and addressing some of the real issues facing families in Luton.”
Stephanie Simeon, chief executive of Citizens Advice Luton, said the partnership had helped the service reach families who might not otherwise seek advice.
“Thanks to funding from Luton Borough Council, we’re able to reach families who might never have come to Citizens Advice,” she said.
“Whether through Family Hubs, our growing partnership with ELFT, our town centre office, or via referrals from our Advice First Aid partners, we’re providing in-depth casework and crisis support to help families navigate incredibly difficult situations and secure the financial help they need.”
The Luton scheme follows a successful pilot in Newham, east London, involving ELFT, Newham Council and other partners, which helped families access an estimated £1m in benefits and grants they did not previously know they were entitled to.
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