Councillors in the South LAC (Local Area Committee) have worked with the council’s Cost of Living team on a new pilot initiative to create a dedicated advice worker post to help address cost of living issues.
Working with local food banks and community groups, councillors identified a huge need for advice services, in addition to food provision.
The new council-run advice service for South Sheffield delivers regular outreach sessions at community centres, food banks and libraries. The advice workers have helped hundreds of people with income maximisation, for example applying for crisis grants such as the Household Support Fund and helping people understand what benefits they may be entitled to. They have also secured reduced water bills for those who are eligible and helped people to manage payments and complete forms.
The idea came from Gleadless Valley Councillor Paul Turpin and was championed by all Councillors on the Committee and supported by the South LAC team.
The new service has helped people save £76,757.44 in 6 months, across 4 wards* in the South Sheffield area. It cost £40,426 to fund the post for 1 year.
At full council on 4th September, councillors will vote to determine whether the council should consider making the service available throughout the city.
Cllr Turpin said:
“All LACs had a budget to spend on cost of living and in the South LAC we all shared the view that a council-run advice service would be the best use of the money available.”
Gleadless Valley colleague, Councillor Marieanne Elliot commented:
“Face-to-face advice from a trained professional provides people with immediate help with living costs and can also help to bring about positive longer term changes. In the South LAC we have trialled this and it has proved to be very effective. I hope this approach can be adopted by the Council as part of an anti-poverty strategy so that everyone in Sheffield can access face-to-face advice in their communities.”
Cllr Turpin added
“This is a service that for every £1 spent in one year, £4 will be returned that year, and then another £4 the next and the next. It should be an easy choice for the Council to make.”
References
*Beauchief & Greenhill, Gleadless Valley, Graves Park and Nether Edge & Sharrow are the 4 wards in the South LAC.
