More support to be offered to Calderdale residents who are struggling to pay their bills

The scheme launched in April 2013 but is due for review in March 2022.

Over the last two years the current scheme has proved restrictive the Council has said so Cabinet Members will consider changes which will make the criteria more flexible so as many vulnerable people as possible can benefit. The budget for the scheme is £95,000 per year.

Councillor Jenny Lynn, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities said:“This will be a very worrying time for many people who are still experiencing the impact of the pandemic and are now facing pressure on their household budget as the cost of living rises.

“One of the Cabinet’s three priorities is to reduce inequalities and our Welfare Assistance scheme helps to provide a vital safety net for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.”

More people are now claiming universal credit than in January 2020 and food bank usage in the borough also remains high the Council has said.

A report that is going before Cabinet shows that over 15,700 households in Calderdale live in fuel poverty and this is likely to increase next winter as energy prices rise.

In October 2021 23.0% of Calderdale schoolchildren were eligible for free school meals, an increase from 20.8% in October 2020. The percentage of under 16s living in low-income families also increased from 22.5% in 2019 to 24.6% in 2020.

Throughout the pandemic there has been a significant increase in the number of people who need support from the current Welfare Assistance scheme. By the end of February 2022, the Council had assisted 455 people, almost double the 245 households supported in 2019/20. The scheme assisted 542 households in 2020/21.

The Cabinet will be asked to approve changes to the Welfare Assistance Scheme which are designed to support those who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

The proposed changes to the Welfare Assistance scheme will be discussed at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday March 28 2022,which starts at 6pm at Halifax Town Hall

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