Wandsworth Council Boosts Cost of Living Support Fund
£5million extra for measures to help struggling families
Council leader Simon Hogg says package is London's most generous
March 1, 2024
Wandsworth’s cost of living support fund is to receive an additional £5m.
The package of support for residents is increasing from £10m to £15m. The council says is the largest scheme of its kind in London.
It builds upon a raft of measures already in place to help residents through the economic downturn and reflects the council’s move to focus on longer-term preventative support measures, including those recommended by the borough’s independent Cost of Living Commission.
As well as freezing its portion of the council tax bill to keep them the lowest in the country, the council has secured a cost-of-living payment of £130 for pensioner households in receipt of Council Tax Reduction and created a network of community spaces where residents can access hot food and drinks plus advice and assistance. The level of funding in the Wandsworth Discretionary Social Fund to support residents facing hardship has been increased.
Lower-income families have been given vouchers to help with the cost of uniform and meals during the school holiday and new council contracts now require staff to be paid the Living Wage.
Energy efficiency and water saving devices have been provided to residents and working with internet providers to secure low-cost internet connections.
Council leader Simon Hogg said, “This week we announced a freeze to the main part of council tax bills which is delivering the lowest bills in the country and helping to relieve the pressure on residents facing ever-increasing household costs.
“And at the same time we are stepping up our support for families struggling to make ends meet by increasing our cost of living support fund from £10m to £15m.
“We know just how important this support has proved over recent months and just what a difference it has made to thousands of our residents suffering financial hardship as a result of the cost of living crisis.
“We are able to do this through careful planning without adding a penny to the main part of council tax – meaning we can deliver London’s biggest and most generous scheme of its kind without adding to those household bills.
“And using the insights of the Wandsworth Cost of Living Commission, we are looking at longer-term action we and the community as a whole can take to reduce the effects of the crisis in the future.”
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