Government must establish support programmes to pick up the slack caused by cuts to Financial Assistance, charities have stressed.According to Martha Dismont of the Family Centre, such funding has become a “social safety net” for needy adults when more jobs are what’s really needed.“It will be utilised for financial survival and increased reliance upon it unless we reinvigorate the job market, and begin to develop sorely-needed training programmes,” she said.“Residents need to feel a sense of empowerment and the ability to be financial independent. No-one that I have met is truly happy depending on government financial assistance.“We have to begin to reverse the trend of needing this assistance. However for the time being, it is the only support that many adults have available to them.”Community Minister Wayne Scott last week revealed that the budget for the Department of Financial Assistance would be cut by 0.9 percent.He noted that the service had increased by about 400 clients due in large part to the economic crisis. Around 1,750 people are now dependant on Government for funding, he said.He said the Ministry would continue to adjust the eligibility requirements to ensure that those who most need assistance receive it, in order to assist the growing numbers.Said Ms Dismont: “Charities will feel, and we have already begun to feel, the fallout from cuts in government assistance.“If supportive funding is unavailable, we need supportive programmes. In the long run, that is the better alternative.”Meanwhile the Salvation Army yesterday claimed its social programmes were already feeling the strain of insufficient funds.Major Shawn Critch said he hoped the budget reduction wouldn’t add to that pressure.“If it does, it will create a further demand upon our community and family services programmes, which are funded entirely through our annual Red Shield Appeal and already stretched,” he said.“There is certainly an opportunity here for the Department of Financial Assistance to continue networking with helping agencies like the Salvation Army who are working with at-risk individuals in order to build individual capacity without placing these same individuals in a more challenging situation.”He said the charity understands the need for Government to balance financial realities with community and social needs.“There is no doubt that acting upon the current fiscal realities facing the Country while mitigating the creation of increased social and community fallout is a challenging conversation,” he said.