Yahoo News Hull and East Riding cost of living 'cliff edge' warning as more help approved
Senior councillors in Hull and the East Riding have warned local households are facing a cliff edge if cost of living support is withdrawn following approval for new aid packages.
Household Support Fund packages worth around £2m each for the East Riding and Hull, including £40 school uniform vouchers in the latter, have been approved by councillors. Hull City Council Leader Cllr Mike Ross said thousands of people would pay the price if Government funding for support is not extended beyond September.
Cllr Victoria Aitken, East Riding Council's children and families portfolio holder, said some households had become dependant on free school meal holiday vouchers and would struggle if they are withdrawn. It comes as the latest round of support was approved by East Riding Council's Cabinet on Tuesday, May 21 and Hull City Council's Cabinet on Monday.
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The approval follows Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's announcement in March that national backing for Household Support Funds would continue for a further six months. Funding is set to run until the end of September and the future of the scheme beyond that is yet to be confirmed.
Hull's package worth around £2.2m includes £40 vouchers for 1,400 low income families to help them buy school uniforms at a total cost of £56,000. Families of children in Year 7 in receipt of free school meals will be eligible to claim the vouchers.
Both Hull and the East Riding have agreed to extend their funding for £15-a-week free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays. The aid will cost £1.4m and help around 15,555 free school meal recipients in Hull and around £1.04m to aid around 8,680 children in the East Riding.
East Riding food banks will be supported with £50,000 in funding, help around 10,000 people. In Hull, £200,000 has been allocated to help low income households improve energy efficiency by improving insulation, replacing boilers and buying more efficient appliances.
East Riding Council's support includes £50,000 to provide small white goods to 290 households and a further £50,000 to replace central heating systems in 50 homes. A further £15,000 is being made available to supply fuel to 40 households whose heating systems run on oil.
A total of £150,000 has been set aside to provide payments to specific groups of vulnerable people in hardship in Hull including single people, the disabled, parents and pensioners. Struggling Hull private housing tenants will have access to a £45,000 pot of support and those renting council properties £30,000 as part of efforts to prevent homelessness.
Some East Riding residents in receipt of council tax support or housing benefit living with someone disabled will also get help. A total of £376,000 has been set aside to aid those residents if they live in homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E or lower.
Those classed as in or at risk of crisis will also be eligible for help from that pot of funding, with 1,883 set to benefit overall. Funding worth £10,000 has been set aside 50 East Riding care leaves responsible for council tax and £55,000 is being used to fund emergency assistance for 250 households.
A total of £310,000 is being used to help 1,546 beneficiaries who are in low income working households or who have caring responsibilities but are not eligible for existing allowances. Hull's Cllr Ross said the council was doing everything it could to support residents through the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Liberal Democrat council leader said: "Sadly, this is a national crisis which needs a national solution. The Household Support Fund provides a vital safety net for residents hit hard by the cost of living crisis.
"This fund must be extended by this and any future government. If the Government cuts this scheme thousands of people in the city will pay the price for their decision."
Conservative Cllr Aitken said there would be issues if any future government decided to stop funding support. East Riding councillors heard the estimated cost of the council continuing support for free school meal vouchers alone over Christmas would be £240,000.
The portfolio holder said: "I'm terrified of a cliff edge because I believe there are families who have become dependant on free school meal vouchers and who expect it. Existing funding for free school meal vouchers covers the October half term but it doesn't cover the Christmas holidays, we need to look at an exit strategy for this."
