Ards and North Down Borough Council has rejected a Belfast-style fuel poverty fund opting instead for a £50,000 local hardship fund.
At the recent full meeting of Ards and North Down Council, elected members agreed a motion proposed by UUP Councillor Philip Smith and amended by Green Councillor Rachel Woods, to allocate £50,000 “short-term support” for local food banks, St Vincent De Paul and Community Advice AND to “help those in immediate financial hardship.”
At the previous full council meeting, elected representatives commissioned a paper looking at how those most in need in the borough could be helped during the winter, but stopped short of voting for a fuel hardship fund.
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Councillors cited problems facing Belfast City Council ’s rollout of their million pound fund, where a maximum household income threshold of £60,000 was criticised, as well as its first-come-first-serve basis and difficulties for applicants receiving from local community organisations. Councillors also said the expectation of a significant hike in the rates for the borough later this month as a reason they could not commit to the fund.
At the most recent meeting councillors agreed a £50,000 limit from the current budget, in the light of a significant impending rise in local rates. To speed delivery the council’s Community and Wellbeing Committee was given delegated authority to deliver the money.
Councillor Philip Smith told the chamber: “There has been particularly negative comments about the Belfast version - some of the commentary and press has been awful. And now we have the Audit Office making enquiries about elements of the process there as well.
“It has been referred to as a Dickensian process, as people are queuing outside in public to try and get vouchers. It has been described as a farce, and not targeted at those genuinely in need. It was described as 'a crude attempt to shovel money', which is something we should avoid at all costs.
“But I do think the council can get a balance between making a contribution, while also being mindful of its own financial state. And also know what the rightful role of a council is.”
He added: “I will be the first to acknowledge this is no panacea. It makes a small contribution, but hopefully an important one. And particularly one that can hit the ground running very quickly.
“We are in the worst of this cost-of-living crisis, with winter pressures in terms of heating. Thankfully people are getting access to their 600 grants, which hopefully will help, but that obviously isn’t going to remove all the challenges. I think the council can make a contribution there.
“Groups like the food banks and the social supermarkets and others across the borough can benefit from this funding. We have through Covid done this before, so there is a proven model there we can reboot so that those genuinely in need can receive support.”
The Chief Executive of Ards and North Down Council Stephen Reid said: “We will expect a report coming back outlining the groups. The process will need to be discussed at that point, and clarity clearly needed.” The council decision did not go to a vote and no elected representative voiced disagreement with the proposal.
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