More funding to help struggling Lewes district households with cost of living
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On Thursday (July 7), Lewes District Council’s cabinet agreed to put a further £250,000 towards measures intended to support those worst hit by rising costs. The funding comes on top of the £500,000 cost of living reserve set aside by the council earlier this year.
Of the new funding, £50,000 is to be awarded directly to local foodbanks, while the remaining money will pay for both a grants programme to be distributed this autumn and a new officer to administer it.
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Hide AdIn a statement released after the meeting, council leader Zoe Nicholson (Green) said: “As living costs spiral, our local foodbanks are running very short of food at a time when people desperately need their assistance, so it’s crucial we give this financial support right away.
“We are keenly aware of the real challenges people are facing – especially those with the lowest incomes — and although the council cannot resolve all the problems being experienced, for some time we have been working to help alleviate hardship for those who are worst off.”
While the funding was agreed, the decision saw some concerns raised by Conservative group leader Isabelle Linington, around what she described as a ‘lack of detail’ in the proposals.
She added: “It is all very well making grand gestures and saying the government isn’t doing enough and we need to do stuff, but it is how we are going to do it and make sure it gets to the right people.”
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Hide AdShe also questioned whether it was necessary to employ an extra council officer to administer the new grants programme, rather than using existing staff who have experience of similar schemes.
But the council’s deputy leader James MacCleary (Lib Dem) said: “We are standing up and saying, ‘we are going to do what we can with the resources we have’. But this is a district council and this is actually quite a significant commitment.”
Cabinet members also said details of the initial £500,000 were expected to come forward in September. It was said this would follow on from discussions, involving all the council’s political parties, about how it should be distributed.