Cost of living emergency to be declared in Worthing as requests for help increase
Low-income households across Adur and Worthing have been identified as ‘not coping’ since the start of the year
The Labour administration at Worthing Borough Council will seek to declare a ‘cost of living emergency’ later this month.
It comes as an increasing number of low-income households across Adur and Worthing have been identified as ‘not coping’ since the start of the year.
This included a spike in April – when National Insurance rates and energy prices increased.
Speaking at the Joint Strategic Sub-Committee on Tuesday (5 July) WBC leader Beccy Cooper said: “It is an emergency in every sense and I think we want to reiterate that the urgency cannot be overemphasised at this point.
“We are really aware of our constituents now, as ward councillors, increasingly getting in touch with us to say they are going to struggle to heat their houses this winter and they cannot feed their families.
“We are very aware that as a council, we do not have infinite resources and all the answers but we are absolutely committed to addressing this.”
Also on Tuesday, the Joint Strategic Committee – which includes senior members of Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council – heard how officers are proactively reaching out to struggling households.
Increase in households ‘not coping’
The proactive team aims to help households increase income and reduce debt.
A low income family tracker (LIFT) platform is used to identify those which may need help.
It categorises the households as coping, struggling, at risk, or in crisis.
The number of households identified as ‘not coping’ across Adur and Worthing reached 1,295 in May- up from 1,136 in January.
The councils' managed to engage with 66 of the 294 households it reached out to during this period.
WBC’s cabinet member for citizens services, Emma Taylor, said: “If it hadn’t been for these interventions we might have seen an even more serious situation than we’re already seeing.”
Officers have been asked to provide updates every six months, rather than annually, due to the severity of the situation.
Requests for help increase
The number of residents in temporary accommodation in Adur and Worthing increased by 26 between January and May.
The total now stands at 371, compared to 178 pre-pandemic.
Calls to the councils’ housing, revenues and benefits, and customer services teams have also all increased in the past year.
Some households overlooked
The council does not have data on residents who receive Universal Credit if they don’t also receive council tax support.
This means 9,640 residents on UC are missing from the LIFT platform.
Lee Cowen, ADC’s Labour group leader, expressed concern that families in need were not being identified and Ms Taylor said the missing data was ‘unacceptable’.
Officers said Policy in Practice – the company which provides the LIFT platform – is lobbying the Department for Work and Pensions for more data.
A ‘cost of living emergency’ is set to be discussed at WBC’s full council meeting on 19 July.