Responding to the Treasury package to ease cost of living concerns, including council tax rebates and discretionary funding for councils, Cllr Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Resources Board, said:
This year will be tougher than most, particularly for those on lower incomes, with many households feeling the impact of the pandemic on their earnings, alongside the removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift and rising costs of energy.
“We are pleased the Government is stepping in to provide financial support to help ease these pressures. Extra discretionary funding for councils will also help them continue to provide much needed crisis support to households who are struggling to afford food, fuel and other essentials.
“We want to work quickly with government to clarify the details of this funding. To ensure it can be distributed as quickly as possible, we would urge it to be added to existing discretionary council schemes.
“Many households are likely to be economically vulnerable for some time to come. Going forward, councils want to work with government on an effective long-term solution to preventing poverty and disadvantage that moves away from providing crisis support towards improving life chances and building resilience. This is vital to levelling up and tackling the stark inequalities exposed by the pandemic.”
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