Discharge grant increase announced

Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Nacro, a social justice charity which supports people coming out of prison and has campaigned for an increase in the discharge grant, said:

“Today at a Nacro event, the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland, confirmed that the amount of money given to people leaving prison is to be increased from £46 to £76. This is the first increase to the prison discharge grant in over 20 years, and long-awaited positive news. Alongside others, we have passionately argued for this increase as we know it will make a significant difference to the chances of those leaving prison.

“Too often people come out of prison with nothing. If people are unable to afford the basics for a fresh start – food, toiletries, transport – we are setting them up to fail. This increase is a very welcome step towards giving people the best chance of a second chance.”