Medway Council’s cost of living plan renewed for another year

A plan providing 1000’s of households in Kent on low incomes assist with price of residing pressures has been renewed for one more yr.Medway Council permitted a refresh of its disaster response, which has been serving to residents because it was launched in July 2023.The plan identifies and offers recommendation and monetary assist for folks combating housing, power, water and different necessities, in accordance with the authority.Council chief Vince Maple mentioned: “It is one thing I want did not need to exist, however thank goodness it does while there may be nonetheless completely a necessity.”Maple mentioned that so long as it was needed, the plan could be up to date yearly.A report, which went earlier than cupboard members on Tuesday, outlined how 1,537 pensioner households that missed out on receiving pension credit score and the winter gasoline fee have been recognized in late 2024-25 and given £200 from the family assist fund.The authority’s advantages and monetary welfare service additionally assisted greater than 1,000 households with monetary steerage and assist via its monetary welfare hub.An extra 24,300 people and 1,350 households got meals parcels and sizzling meals each month, in accordance with the Native Democracy Reporting Service.The council mentioned it additionally managed to assist 314 households keep away from having to make use of emergency lodging attributable to investing in further employees who helped tough sleepers.One of many new additions to the plan is a reduced entry for The Historic Dockyard Chatham for these on Common Credit score – decreasing the value to £2.Maple added: “Even when occasions are powerful, notably in the course of the summer time holidays, we recognise it is about residing, not surviving.”The council additionally agreed to reinvest within the ReferKent system, which helps refer folks to organisations which assist with points together with mortgage sharks and dependancy.