Multi-million pound fund to help Glaswegians during cost of living crisis

Councillors on the Glasgow City Administration Committee were given details on how the Cost-of-Living Crisis Support Fund is being distributed last week.

As well as giving benefit advice to parents and helping women fleeing violence, the money is being used to fund officers to support families with a disabled parent or child to claim benefits and to provide thousands of school pupils with a fruit snack.

Nearly £2 million has been allocated while another £1 million has been set aside for helping with energy costs, with a contract still to be arranged and the successful supplier expected to provide fuel top ups for meters, direct support to apply for fuel write-offs and helping to negotiate fuel debt arrangements for people.

Although welcoming the work, Councillor Robert Mooney said more could be done. He said: “We can always do better. I’m particularly happy with the part were we are going to help parents in schools access benefits.”

He pointed out in Milton there are three weekly community events where children receive food and activities.

Labour Councillor Mooney said advice should also be given on accessing further education and training as well as benefits and asked for further advocacy alongside food distribution.

SNP Councillor Ricky Bell said: “We can always do more if we have more money. That is the big challenge for us. We can’t solve the city’s problems within the financial constraints we face now. I would love to see us put more money into some of these programmes.”

Organisations who received money to help struggling families include The Daisy Project, Glasgow East Women’s Aid and Glasgow Women’s Aid Hemet Gryffe.

GEMAP Scotland Money Matters CAB Consortium received £500,000 funding to provide face to face advice on benefits and money to parents of school age children.

A total of £550,000 is to be spent on a mid morning fruit snack for about 60,000 children in schools.

Long term unemployed residents will also carry out improvements in neighbourhoods as part of a City Makers programme receiving £250,000.

The City Administration Committee also heard £800,000 from the Scottish Government’s Addressing Future Needs Fund has been awarded to three organisations offering employability programmes.