Council bosses to consider allocation of support for struggling families

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

Discussions on how to spend funding designed to help those most affected by the cost-of-living crisis in Bridgend, are set to be discussed by council members at their cabinet meeting next week.

The local authority has been given over £1.2m from Welsh Government, intended to financially support households during the unprecedented cost of living crisis, with families right across Wales now feeling the pinch.

Council bosses will look at a report presented on Tuesday, September 13, to determine how the money will be distributed amongst specific households, many of whom have been identified as the most in need of financial support.

Those identified will include households in receipt of a council tax disabled band reduction, those receiving an exemption for a severe mental impairment, people providing or receiving care for someone, as well as under-18s living alone and full-time students.

Households in council tax bands E and F that are not in receipt of council tax reduction would also receive support.

A one-off payment of £50 is also being proposed for those individuals and families living in temporary accommodation, along with a £50 voucher to each individual child in receipt of free school meals.

The proposed scheme is aimed at those households considered at greatest risk of experiencing poverty during the cost-of-living crisis, and would not affect any of the other benefits eligible households currently receive or current council tax payments being made.

Most of the discretionary support monies would be allocated to households automatically by direct payments, with the payments expected to be made from October 1 . The scheme is expected to run until March 31, 2023.