Cost of living crisis: More than a third of Barnsley residents in fuel poverty

A report to be heard by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee tomorrow states that the cost-of-living crisis is “disproportionatelyaffecting boroughs like Barnsley where poverty was already increasing before the Covid pandemic, exacerbating inequalities, and disproportionately affecting the poorest communities.”

It adds that an inflation rate of 9.1 per cent, plus price rises driven by energy price inflation and additional taxation, are having an impact on most households in the borough with the energy price hike in autumn set to “amplify these challenges further”.

The statistics within the report tell a grim story – more than 26,000 residents are on Universal Credit, 27 per cent of residents in the borough are economically inactive and Almost 20 per cent of children are on free school meals.

Around 41,000 households, or a third of residents in the borough are in fuel poverty, and almost a quarter of children in the borough live in low-income families.

Support is available for struggling residents in Barnsley from the government, including a £4.6M household support grant; £1M healthy activity fund; and a £562,000 discretionary council tax rebate scheme.

Two million pounds of the household support grant has been allocated to families in receipt of free school meals or pension credits via a £150 PostOffice Voucher, supporting 11,208 households across the borough.

A further grant allocation of £2.3M will provide additional support until March 2023.

Barnsley residents struggling with the cost of living should seek support from the council: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/advice-benefits-and-council-tax/help-with-the-rising-cost-of-living/