West Lothian Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick has attacked the 'ideological' budget of Westminster during an "unprecedented" cost of living crisis.
The council will host a conference on the cost of living on Tuesday. And as the wider economy reeled from the fallout of the mini budget promoted by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, and defended by the Prime Minister Liz Truss, Councillor Fitzpatrick added: “When ideology trumps common sense and a raft of heavyweight advice, it’s a real cause for serious concern.”
The council is working alongside its Community Planning Partners and Third Sector voluntary organisations to combat the cost of living crisis this winter.
READ MORE: West Lothian Cost of Living emergency declared as council demand more support
Council staff are working to identify “welcoming places” across West Lothian which can provide a warm space for people to rest, in addition to acting as a hub where they can access advice and support in relation to the cost of living.
This work is being undertaken by a short-life working group made up by representatives from the council, Community Planning Partners and the Third Sector. Further details on ‘welcoming places’ will be released soon.
This exercise is part of a wider approach to supporting West Lothian residents with the cost of living.
A Cost of Living Crisis Conference is being held as part of Challenge Poverty Week tomorrow. During the conference, partners, the Third Sector and members of the public will get the opportunity to work together to consider how to best support households feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis. The conference will also allow for discussions around key issues such as food insecurity and rising fuel costs.
A dedicated web page has been developed to ensure relevant self-help tools in relation to cost of living are easy for members of the public to access. These self-help guides are being developed with a focus on financial payments and energy.
Access to the council's responses can be found via the West Lothian Council website - https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/costofliving
Councillor Fitzpatrick said: “Unfortunately we find ourselves in unprecedented times, caught in the midst of a cost of living crisis that most of us will never have seen on this scale before.
“The council recognises the need to work with community planning partners and the Third Sector to find every way possible to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are appropriately supported.
“Work continues on developing strategies to ensure local residents are able to access all the support they require as we combat the cost of living crisis and information on approaches such as ‘welcoming spaces’ will be published as soon as final details are available.
“At a time when many people are looking at ways to access local services, socialise with each other and keep warm, it’s really important that we remind people of what services are currently in place.
“For example, our partnership centres and libraries are open and available to use. Many of our centres are open from 9am and remain open late into the evening. In addition to our own facilities, there are many voluntary groups, social clubs, churches and other religious groups that are open and provide support for local people.
“The council will look to ensure its employees and the wider public are provided with the latest advice and support on energy efficiency. This includes undertaking targeted benefit take-up campaigns to help increase household incomes in addition to work being carried out in partnership alongside community planning partners to develop self-help toolkits featuring advice on increasing energy efficiency in the home, and signposting to relevant financial support.
“Anyone who feels they need support with the increasing cost of living can contact the Advice Shop to see what support is available to them. You can request a referral online at www.westlothian.gov.uk/adviceshop or call 01506 283 000”.
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