Bury Council helping the most vulnerable manage tough times

Bury Council and its partners have helped more than 18,340 people across the borough during the current cost of living crisis.

The local authority has worked with voluntary groups, Bury VCFA, health services, Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton, community organisations and others to provide support.

The aim is to help residents with any immediate difficulties and also to increase their financial resilience to stop people falling into hardship in the future.

Support includes a £1.5m pot from the government’s Household Support Fund which has been used for:

• More than £650,000 for families who receive free school meals to cover the schools holiday periods including the upcoming Easter holidays.

In addition, funding has been targeted to:

• Support those of working age who get Council Tax support and Employment and Support Allowance, but who don’t get Universal Credit
• Support residents, who rely upon electrical medical devices, with energy costs
• Support care leavers and foster carers with energy costs
• Support those households who have been identified as needing support by public service and community partners.
• Deliver a Cost of Living Community Fund for local voluntary and community groups

Tackling the longer-term causes of hardship includes tackling food poverty, debt, energy and other housing costs, and supporting people’s mental wellbeing and to help them get into decently paid work.

Cllr Richard Gold, cabinet member for finance and communities said there is increasing financial pressures on both the income and expenditure of our residents.

“The cost-of-living squeeze is being driven by high levels of inflation, with wages and benefits not keeping pace with matching price rises.

“While we have provided a lot of immediate support - £1.5m last summer and a further £1.5m this winter – we are also working to tackle those longer-term issues which put people into hardship.

“Bury residents are proud people and many do not like asking for help. We have identified those areas where people are more likely to struggle because of a whole range of different factors, and going out to those residents and making sure they get the support they need.

“This includes promoting Healthy Start vouchers to parents and prospective parents; Bury Markets providing cooking affordable food demonstrations; the council funding Citizens Advice staff going out to the community to provide advice; a demonstration event which saw more than 250 Radcliffe residents try their hand at construction and digital jobs; help for families to buy school uniforms for 6000 primary and secondary age pupils, promoting activities at warm spaces around the borough through the ‘The Bury Directory’ and much more.

“There’s a whole range of support available and you don’t need to be on benefits. Please see our hardship help pages on our website or call 0161 253 5400.”