As a standing item to the Committee, the Director of Public Health will present an update on the Council’s current position regarding the Cost of Living Crisis.
Minutes:
The Director of Public Health gave a presentation on the Council’s response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. It was noted that:
· A major area of focus was on emergency food provision. As part of this work the need for infant formula had come up, so work had been done to ensure that food banks had supplies of infant formula when needed.
· There was also a focus on the warm welcome offer, this was available at all 16 city libraries and other venues. A number of programmes were available as a part of this offer were available including cooking seminars.
· The Better Off Leicester website provided tools and advice to help save money.
· The Council was coordinating with the NHS and universities on this crisis.
· A Leicester-specific energy advice service was in the process of being launched. The Council was coordinating with the national Energy Advice Service on this.
· A dashboard had been created to examine the impact of the crisis. The dashboard showed that the biggest price increases were in energy and food, and that money was being cut back on transport.
· The dashboard also showed that BAME communities were the most impacted by the crisis, single mothers were hard hit. Families with and without children were struggling.
· Friends of the Earth had identified a number of energy crisis hotspots in the city.
· The Bank of England had just raised interest rates by another 5%.
In response to questions raised by Members and Youth Representatives, it was noted that:
· There was a food programme for the school holidays, those in need of this could contact the schools and the schools could make referrals. This was provided in collaboration with local business. A number of schools were running food banks.
· Support for those with no recourse to public funds was limited, however this was not cause for someone to be turned away from a food bank.
· Housing Officers were working to support those refugees in Leicester who had financial struggles.
· Food banks were individual organisations so therefore had their own policies on eligibility. Food banks had asked the Council not to widely publicise them in order to not overly increase demand. Food banks did work with Ward Councillors, so Councillors could make referrals.
· Activities at warm hub events were being delivered in collaboration with the Adult Learning Officers.
· The Better Off Leicester website was intended to help people who were ‘just about managing’ to find savings and find out which support they were eligible for. There were a number of support pots which were underused due to not being widely known about.
· The Foodshare Service helped distribute unused food from shops and restaurants.
· There was funding available from Government to help with improving energy efficiency in homes.
· Building regulations on energy efficiency would not be applied retrospectively. It was expected that many of the new houses being built in the city would meet any new energy efficiency certificates.
AGREED:
1. That the Committee requests that Members be informed of how Government support to improve energy efficiency in homes is being publicised by the Council.
2. That the Committee requests that Members be informed of how new homes being built in the city will meet current and future energy efficiency requirements.
3. That the Committee requests that Members be informed of information of employment rates in the areas of greatest deprivation in the city.