A BUMPER £4 million package of support to cash-strapped families may be set for delivery by North Ayrshire Council.
The support aims to help low-income families cope with major financial hardships across the North Ayrshire community.
The council’s cabinet are due to consider the wide-ranging measures at a meeting on Tuesday.
If approved, low-income families would receive Child Bridging Payments and top-up payments worth up to a total of £460.
Support will also be aimed at expanding the existing community food network and the creation of an energy support scheme to help people with spiralling energy bills and soaring inflation.
North Ayrshire council leader Marie Burns said: “We know how much our communities are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and these proposals are aimed at helping those suffering the greatest hardship.
“With inflation soaring and energy prices forecast to rise steeply, this is a time for action and to offer whatever help we can.
“In addition to the £260 Child Bridging Payments, funded by the Scottish Government, the proposals will mean we top this up by an extra £200 for every child who qualifies for free school meals, as well as low-income families with a child of preschool age.
“This is part of a series of measures we propose to introduce over the coming weeks and months in a bid to protect and help our communities across North Ayrshire.”
Two separate Child Bridging Payments of £130 for families of children who are eligible for a free school meal are due to be distributed in October and December.
If the proposals were approved at Cabinet, these would be topped up by a further £100 per child for both months.
The £100 payment will also be extended to low-income families of children of pre-school age.
Approximately 3300 families across North Ayrshire (5700 children) are in line to receive the payment.
Cabinet had already approved the £100 payment on top of the £130 Child Bridging Payments made in June as part of a Scottish Government package of funding totalling £2.154m to support economic recovery and low-income families.
The proposed additional payments are part of a wider £4m package of support to fund a range of measures to mitigate the rising costs for families.
This will include proposals to build on the existing community food network by investing a further £500,000 to ensure basic food provision is available to anyone who requires the support.
And it will also see over £2m invested in an energy support scheme which aims to offer advice and support to help people lower their energy bills, as well as practical help to install energy-saving features in homes.
