Agenda item

The Director of Public Health will provide an update on the Council’s current position regarding the cost of living crisis.

The Committee received an update with regard to the Council’s current position regarding the cost-of-living crisis.

Prior to receiving a presentation on this matter, the Chair invited two youth representatives to outline a proposal in relation to unused food from school kitchens.  They referred to their own personal story, some of the struggles that their family had encountered and how they had been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

The youth representatives outlined their prime concerns citing the level of children in Leicester in low-income families and experiencing poverty.  They informed the committee that they observed children at school who were hungry whilst also seeing unused food being discarded.  Their proposal centralised around providing such unused food to families for free or donating to food banks.  They also felt that free breakfasts should be provided to those most in need. 

In response to their presentation, the Director of Delivery, Communications Political Governance thanked the youth representatives and stated that the City Council was continuing to talk to schools about extending further opportunities in respect of breakfast clubs.  She also reiterated that there was an extensive programme of provision during school holiday periods.  She agreed to undertake further discussions with colleagues in Children’s Services to review approaches in how unused school produce can be best managed.

A project manager from Public Health then issued a presentation which outlined the City Council’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, a copy of which is appended to these minutes.

A number of comments and questions were raised by members and the following was stated in response:

-       A combination of short and long-term solutions was available for residents which included helping to negotiate debt payments at better rates.  A range of retrofitting solutions were also considered for tenants in terms of improving home heating. 

-       The City Council acknowledged firmly the level of increase in the number of those experiencing hardship.  Officers stressed the need to continue to provide a broad set of initiatives that covered as many essential services as possible.

-       Further detail would be provided to members in respect of the ‘Warm Welcome’ initiative. 

-       The Council supported a number of campaigns relating to heat metering with some programmes offering financial support for the most vulnerable.  Detail of the initiatives were being compiled and would be provided to all elected members over the coming weeks.  It was anticipated that this would help to support more residents to access the initiatives that were most appropriate for them.

-       Further information would be provided in response to how cases were dealt with where there were clear impacts on mental health or if there was reported domestic violence.

-       There was no set eligibility criteria for the fuel poverty programme but stringent criteria was in place for some of the other schemes.  

AGREED:

(1)   That a response to the youth representatives’ proposal be provided,

(2)   That further information be provided to members as outlined above; and

(3)   That scrutiny commissions be asked to look at focussed issues arising from the cost-of-living crisis as appropriate.