Residents across Medway who are facing financial challenges due to the cost of living crisis are being encouraged to access the support available, as part of a new plan.
Last night, Tuesday, 11 July, Cabinet agreed a new cost of living crisis response plan.
The plan brings together all of the support that is available for residents from Medway Council, and partners, into one place to make it easier to access.
In Medway around 25,500 households (around 23 per cent) are particularly vulnerable to rises in living costs.
Together with our partners, we continue to provide a range of support for residents, and so far, has distributed nearly £6million from the Household Support Fund to those most in need; provided free MedwayGo holiday activity club sessions to more than 5,000 eligible children, funded by the government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme (HAF); worked with the Medway Food Partnership to ensure residents are able to access sustainable and healthy food; spent £1.7million providing more than 500,000 free school meal vouchers for eligible children during the school holidays as well as reducing the council tax bills of more than 16,100 residents through the council tax reduction scheme.
Under the new plan, we will also be investing in technology to help identify and encourage residents who may be eligible for support at both a national and local level to apply. This could include pension credit, council tax reductions and free school meals. The Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) is currently used by 60 other local authorities across the UK and is predicted to help Medway’s residents access £210,000 of additional support.
We will also be using Kent County Council’s ReferKent system, an online referral system which will signpost residents to additional support from a range of organisations including Breakeven (gambling support), Vulnerability Registration Service and Stop Loan Sharks.
Residents facing financial difficulties, due to the rise of the cost of living, can apply for help with their household bills through the Household Support Fund. The support on offer includes supermarket and fuel vouchers. For more information, and to apply, visit: medway.gov.uk/HouseholdSupportFund
We will also be launching a communications campaign to help raise awareness amongst those experiencing hardship to ensure they know about the help that is available to them and how they can access support.
We are committed to doing everything we can to help our residents
Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Vince Maple, said: “We know that the cost of living crisis is impacting families across Medway and, in our 100 day plan, we pledged to bring forward a Cost of Living Plan, and that is exactly what we have done. We are committed to doing everything we can to help our residents. We know that there may be some people who have never had to ask for help before and may be uncomfortable reaching out, but I’d like to reassure them that it’s ok to ask for help in these challenging times. We are investing in extra technology to get more help directly to people.
“With the school summer holidays just around the corner, I would also like to make residents aware of the sheer amount of free, and low-cost, activities provided by services across the council including drop-in sport sessions, a touring gaming bus and free family fun days.
“I would encourage anyone who is experiencing hardship to find out more about the support that is available.”
Exciting free activity sessions are also on offer with MedwayGo over the summer holidays. MedwayGo is a free, government funded, holiday activities and food programme for children aged five to 16 who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals. Along with lots of fun sessions, children attending will receive a nutritious meal, made to school food standards, ensuring that children have a healthy balanced meal as they would during the school day. To find out more, and register, visit: go.medway.gov.uk