A Welsh council has agreed a landmark £3m in cost of living support. The new hardship fund is intended to get essential support to people before they reach a breaking point.
Caerphilly County Borough Council has proposed that the fund should be used to provide food, including by increasing the number of food banks and by using council-owned facilities to give hot meals to families in the evenings. Other suggestions for the money have included a "warm the human not the home" scheme by giving families packs that will include draft excluders, warm clothes and thick curtains.
A report presented to cabinet on Monday, September 26, stated: “The emphasis on support moving forward is striking the right balance between prevention and crisis support and doing the former based on data – reaching people before they get to or even near crisis point.”
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The report revealed that 4,000 residents have been “directly supported” by the council in relation to the cost-of-living crisis so far. This includes £158,000 awarded to 45 community-led organisations to support those in fuel poverty.
Additionally, more than two million free meals have been delivered by the council to 7,298 children, and £1.45 million has been handed out to unpaid carers. At the meeting, chief executive Christina Harrhy said the report showed that the council “already does a lot” and that it wants to build on this.
Some additional changes include the appointment of a cost-of-living co-ordinator and the opening of toy banks in the lead-up to Christmas. A cost-of-living impact assessment will be undertaken to identify if the crisis is having a disproportionate effect on different groups and those already in poverty.
The council previously lowered the amount its council tax was expected to rise by, with Councillor Eluned Stenner, cabinet member for performance, economy and enterprise, saying the council had "listened" to residents' concerns. However, the council was also criticised earlier in the year for the amount of money it had kept in reserves.
Wales is set to be one of the areas of UK that loses out the most in the tax changes announced in the Chancellor's new mini budget. Only the north east of England will benefit less, according to the Resolution Foundation.
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