Durham considers plans to help low-income households

Councillors are expected this week to discuss the progress of schemes to help tackle inequalities in County Durham and decide on their future approach for supporting vulnerable residents and families.

Members of the Cabinet will discuss action taken so far to alleviate poverty across the county, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and how best to support low-income households in the future.

They will also hear about the work of the Poverty Action Steering Group, which was approved by Cabinet in September 2019 to support lower-income households facing increasing financial pressures as a result of the government’s welfare reforms and longer-term challenges in the labour market.

The Council’s Poverty Action Plan is currently being reviewed in line with recent data and knowledge, and the Steering Group aim to present an updated plan to Cabinet in March 2022.

Cllr Alan Shield, Durham County Council’s Cabinet Member for Equality and Inclusion, said: ‘Many households in our county were left facing greater financial uncertainty following the coronavirus pandemic and providing support for vulnerable residents is a key priority for our council. During the pandemic our efforts to address and alleviate poverty increased significantly but there is still much to do.

‘Vouchers to the value of £20 per child each week are being provided for children receiving Free School Meals during the Christmas holidays, while new dispersion hubs to provide low-cost surplus food are to be progressed across County Durham. Looking forward, we will continue to work closely with our partners, to support households through co-ordinated advice and guidance, to ensure no resident is left behind.

‘This will include helping residents to move away from having to access food through crisis intervention support such as food banks, working with key providers such as the credit unions to improve access to low-cost loans and supporting work to address fuel poverty and digital exclusion.’

Photo by Kelly Sikkema