Around £1 million worth of help and support is to be given by Falkirk Council to help people who are struggling most as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
As well as giving grants to households most in need of support, people will also be encouraged to make sure they are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to.
The report ‘Tackling Poverty in Falkirk’ was brought to Falkirk Council's executive by the chief executive, Kenneth Lawrie when it met on Tuesday. He said: "We know that Covid 19 has left a legacy of increased poverty and inequality in our communities and we also know that the cost of living crisis is greatly exacerbating these problems, so there is a clear need to act on this now.
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"We also know that this is not going to be dealt with quickly or easily so the proposals set out a positive, realistic and considered starting point for this work and there will need to be a continued focus over the life of this council."
Councillors agreed to give £250,000 additional funding to the Household Support Fund, which was set up in January and has already made an impact, they were told.
This money will top up the Scottish Government's Covid Economic Recovery Fund, some of which has already been used to help low-income households with essentials such as food, fuel, transport and connectivity.
The council also agreed to spend £192,000 per year for the next two years to get four more members of staff who will help people get all the benefits and support they are entitled to.
Every year an estimated £38 million of benefits goes unclaimed across the Falkirk Council area, while nationally only 6 out of 10 eligible pensioners claim pension credit. And they will continue to give £3.50 per day to families who normally get free school meals to help during the summer and October holidays at a cost of £344,000.
Councillors also agreed to provide access to free swimming to people on a low-income at a cost of around £180,000. This will be done by extending the existing Go-card scheme to include anyone in receipt of an income related benefit and adding free access to swimming.
The funding for the proposals will partly come from Covid money from the Scottish Government and partly from a £1.2 million rebate on insurance for schools that has been received.
Council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said: “We hope the range of measures outlined in the report can alleviate to some extent the pressures faced by many while promoting the uptake of advice and support to maximise benefits and support to those most in need.”
Councillors also agreed to look at creating a card that could be used by people on low incomes to help get simple, subtle access to other council services.
The proposals were backed unanimously by councillors although the Labour group put forward an amendment to clarify that the work is part of a longer term strategy.
Labour leader Anne Hannah said: "That strategy must recognise that the increase in the cost of living will impact on households and families for years ahead, and we aim to do all we can to support people through this challenge."
The SNP administration did not oppose Labour's amendment and the proposals were passed unanimously.
Household support
Councillors heard that the Household Support Fund, which was introduced in January, was making an immediate impact to help people get cash that made a huge difference to their lives.
One woman who asked for help was also referred to the fuel fund - after explaining that due to the cost of heating she was unable to heat her children’s bedrooms and was having to share a bed with her three children every night. The £280 awarded from the Household Support Fund as well as the fuel voucher meant that the woman was able to heat her children’s bedrooms for a number of weeks.
Set up with £175,000 from the Winter Support funding provided by the Scottish Government, the fund provided ‘cash first’ to households on income related benefits or with an equivalent low income, for example in low paid work.
Unlike Scottish Welfare Fund Crisis Grants, people do not need to be ‘in crisis’ to get help and between January and April 2022, the Household Support Fund provided £186,000 to 1158 low-income households supporting 1440 adults and 1180 children.
Other case studies included how one young woman was given £70 that meant she could buy a uniform for a new job she was starting. The young person had completed a health and social care course at college before getting agency work with the elderly. But without the fund she would not have been able to afford the uniform which would have meant she wouldn't have been able to start the job.
Councillors also heard that getting access to the fund was a good way to build up trust with tenants who could then be helped in different ways. One Falkirk Council tenant, who was in rent arrears, was supported by the fund. As a result, she agreed to put together a plan to pay her debt arrears.
People who access the fund will be encouraged to engage with other support agencies, to help ensure that the fund is only used once.
Members of the executive also agreed that the Household Support Fund would get further cash from the Local Authority Covid Economic Recovery (LACER) funding.
