Birmingham City Council is uniting with voluntary organisations to provide co-ordinated support for citizens ‘hard hit’ by welfare reforms and taxes, councillors have said.

Once it comes into force between July and September, the council expects the benefit cap to affect an estimated 2,000 individuals and over 1,000 separate households in Birmingham, with 41% of these properties housing troubled families and 60% also being affected by the bedroom tax.

The town hall anticipates that around 9,000 Birmingham City Council properties will be hit by the bedroom tax, alongside 5,600 social landlord homes.

In a bid to deal with the impact of these reforms, Birmingham’s multi agency welfare reform committee has mapped organisations which offer services including clothing, emergency accommodation and food banks

Birmingham City Council cabinet member for social cohesion and equalities, cllr John Cotton, said : ‘Welfare Reform is an enormous challenge and will have a direct impact on vulnerable people and families across Birmingham.

‘The city council is working closely with partners from across Birmingham – voluntary organisations, charities, community groups and others at the front line of supporting vulnerable people – to ensure that we have a properly coordinated response to these enormous changes.

‘Many families and individuals will be hard hit by these changes. We want to make sure they get the help and support they need.’

Mohammed Al-Rahim, vice-chair and founder of Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, an organisation working with the local authority, said: ‘This is an important opportunity for the voluntary sector to work cooperatively, together with the city council and the local business community, to provide vital practical support to citizens of Birmingham in these challenging times, proactively sharing knowledge and resources to co-ordinate a truly effective response for all those experiencing crisis and hardship.’