£15 payments to vulnerable families in Christmas break
COUNCILS TO ALLOCATE MORE THAN £5M
COUNCILS in our region are set to spend more than £5m to support those who need it most with the cost of food, energy, water bills and other essentials this winter.
Funded by a one-off government grant, it aims to provide extra help for residents still struggling financially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hull City Council has been awarded £3,038,293 while East Riding Council has received £2,061,832.
In Hull, some of the cash has already been used to provide food vouchers worth £15 per week to households in receipt of free school meals over the October half-term holidays. The same offer will also apply over the Christmas, February half-term and Easter school holiday periods.
Around 13,000 households in the city will qualify for the vouchers.
A similar voucher scheme will be available for East Riding households eligible for free school meals.
Both councils says they aim to support people entitled to Universal Credit who lost the £20 temporary uplight payment originally introduced at the start of the first national Covid-19 lockdown last year
Councillor Phil Webster, portfolio holder for finance in Hull, said: “We know residents have been severely affected by the pandemic and associated cost-of-living increases as restrictions have been lifted and the economy has reopened. There are also the added pressures of rising bills, the Universal Credit cap and the end of the furlough scheme.
“We have given careful consideration as to how best to help residents and believe we have put together a good, balanced package that will provide help where it is needed.
“The Government has directed that at least 50 per cent of the money will be used for financially vulnerable households with children, and the proposals include the continued provision of food vouchers for all school holidays up to and including Easter 2022
“While the funding provided by the Government is welcome, it is not sufficient to compensate for the removal of the £20 per week Universal Credit benefit and does not provide a panacea for the needs of the vulnerable in the city.”
Councillor John Holtby, deputy leader of East Riding Council with responsibility for corporate services, said: “I am delighted that the council is able to provide financial support to local households most in need over the winter months through the household support grant scheme.
“The grants will help residents meet daily needs such as food, utilities and other essentials.”
Both councils say they will contact people once they have been identified as being eligible for support.
The two councils plan to use some funding to top up existing emergency assistance schemes which provide so-called “crisis payments” covering the cost of urgently needed items of furniture, wood goods and transport.