Arun District Council has outlined a £180,000 ‘cost of living support package’ with half of the money funding new staff.
The council stopped short of declaring a cost of living emergency last month as a motion put forward by Lib Dem councillors was deemed ‘too political’.
Instead, councillors agreed to discuss the issues at an extraordinary Housing and Wellbeing Committee meeting which is due to take place on Thursday (3 November).
A £180,000 support package could be approved which would be funded by interest from council investments.
More than half of this (£95,000) will go towards two new members of staff; an energy efficiency home adviser (£40,000) and a cost of living co-ordinator (£55,000).
Up to £55,000 could be spent on a salary of between £33,500 and £36,370 in addition to ‘on costs’ associated with the role.
The home adviser could carry out home visits for council tenants and vulnerable residents to help them with ‘practical energy efficiency measures’.
Meanwhile the cost of living co-ordinator would work with the council and other organisations on a package of support measures.
Up to £40,000 could be given to Citizens’ Advice to provide energy advice with small grants given to community and voluntary organisations to create ‘warm banks’ and provide refreshments.
The council also intends to grant £20,000 to local food banks.
Arun has the greatest number of deprived areas in West Sussex and some are among the top 10 per cent most deprived nationally.
A report before the Housing and Wellbeing Committee says rising inflation and energy costs mean that ‘those who previously may have been able to absorb minor additional household expenditures now face increasing pressures’, meaning that a ‘much larger and wider proportion of the population’ will be affected.
The report identified a number of risks such as vulnerable people being targeted by loan sharks; households on pre-payment electricity meters ‘self disconnecting’; mental and physical health risks; and food banks and community organisations being unable to meet demand.
Members of the committee will be asked to endorse the support package which will then need to be approved by the Policy and Finance Committee.
Officers wrote:
“The Wellbeing and Communities Group work with key partners to deliver a range of services to support the community. Cost of living pressures are having an impact on a broad range of the community and those affected require information and support from a number of agencies.”
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