Cost of living crisis: Affordable warmth, food and debt advice are key drivers for Calderdale Council action plan

Leader of the council, Coun Tim Swift said: “Clearly, the last 12 months has made this strategy more important than ever.”

Coun Swift (Lab, Town) and Cabinet colleagues agreed to continue developing Calderdale Council’s Anti-Poverty Action Plan over the next 12 months.

It will be kept under continual review by officers and a key element is partnership working with groups outside the council, said Cabinet member for Public Services, Coun Jenny Lynn.

Coun Lynn (Lab, Park) said reviewing the situation regularly would “ensure resources are focused where they have the greatest impact on the people on greatest need.”

The action plan has three aims – prevention, intervention and building resilience, with early intervention a hallmark.

It crosses all council directorates with action points ranging from education to employment, and from health to skills.

With latest data informing the plan, it shows the number of families in fuel poverty is increasing and educational gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children has widened since the pandemic, for example, with work under way to try and meet these challenges.

Areas where efforts are bearing fruit include reducing life expectancy gaps between Calderdale’s most and least deprived areas.

The cost of living crisis has seen council responses including the Fuel Your Knowledge event attended by more than 200 people from a range of organisations.

Work on food support, homelessness and employment and family support has also been undertaken, said Coun Lynn.