Cost of living crisis: Calderdale kids as young as five 'forced to ask neighbours for food' because of rising prices

The shock scenario was revealed by Councillor Adam Wilkinson at the full meeting of Calderdale Council last night (Wednesday).

Councillor Wilkinson (Lab, Sowerby Bridge), who is Cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, said conversations with a headteacher indicated struggling families were using food banks, with donated meals being their only source of food at weekends

Children as young as five calling on neighbours asking for food had been reported, he said.

“I am seeing how vulnerable our children are on a daily basis," he said.

“This is what life is like now in the most deprived communities in Calderdale - five-year-olds turning up at people’s doorsteps and begging for food.

“This is by far the biggest issue affecting our residents across Calderdale.

“If we think it is bad now, just wait till October when energy bills are set to rise and with winter setting in people will have real choices of whether to heat or eat."

The majority of councillors agreed to support Luddenden Foot ward Labour councillor Roisin Cavanagh’s proposal, incorporating an amendment from Liberal Democrat group leader Coun James Baker (Warley), calling on the Government to up its response to the cost of living crisis.

The proposal is also urging the council’s Cabinet to strengthen its own anti-poverty strategy and review grant funding to debt advice organisations like Ovenden-based Noah’s Ark.

A letter will now be sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, asking him to uprate benefits in line with inflation to ensure no one falls below an income which allows them to afford basic requirements, and to adopt a better targeted approach to support those hardest hit by the cost of living crisis.

Mr Zahawi is also being urged to immediately create a lower cap on deductions which can be made to benefits, to extend free school meal provision to all children classified as living in poverty but who do not meet current free school meals criteria, to reverse the removal of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit and develop mechanisms of support to protect children and the lowest income families from harm by recognising the urgency of the situation.

Coun Cavanagh said what councillors were being told demonstrated the crisis was already here.

“The cost of living crisis is an urgent one – we know that because people in our communities are telling us it is,” she said.

Coun Baker said councillors should also hold a cross-party “scrutiny in a day” session to see what it and partners could do to help people, for example community socialising in winter to help people keep warm.

Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse) said the session could seek some practical solutions often in conjunction with outside bodies, for example funds – he cited an endowment fund in his ward – which could potentially make financial help available.