Council leaders today agreed plans which will see over £300k spent to support Rotherham's most vulnerable residents as the food crisis continues to rise.
As the cost-of-living crises deepens, demand for foodbanks locally has trebled in the last three years since 2020, Rotherham Council’s Cabinet meeting heard today.
To help improve the lives of these people, councillors today approved plans to spend £104,000 a year from 2024 to 2027 for crisis support. This equates to a total spend of £312k over the next three financial years.
Most of the funds will be used to provide crisis loans, with the rest supporting food banks.
The scheme will see £60,000 set aside to enable the authority to continue providing interest-free crisis loans of between £40 and £120 direct to residents who need it.
A further £34,000 will be spent on infrastructure to supply food banks and an additional £10,000 will support a food-in-crisis scheme.
Organisations will now be invited to bid to work with the council in delivering the support.
Cllr David Sheppard, Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion said: “It is shocking that in the 21st century people are having to rely on food banks and other means to try and support themselves and their families.
“We have set aside this money from our budget as we want to ensure we are helping those that need our help most. The cost of living continues to be high, whether this is food or fuel costs. But because money coming into households has not increased to match inflation rates, this means some people are having to make the heart-breaking choice between heating and eating.
“No family or individual should be in this position in this day and age, and so we will endeavour to reduce this burden on our residents where we can. The decision today means we can continue to offer our interest free loans, with the aim of ensuring people have their basic needs met.”
The report to councillors said that in March 2020 demand for crisis food and other support significantly increased as the country entered the first Covid lockdown.
It saw almost 20,000 food parcels being issued in 2020-21, a 342 per cent increase on the previous year.
The subsequent cost of living crisis had continued to see demand for help outstrip supplies.