Southwark Labour has launched its 10-point plan to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Following a visit to Citizens Advice Southwark to hear first-hand how the cost of living crisis is impacting on residents, Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council said:
“Citizens Advice Southwark support 20,000 families every year and the situations they face are getting worse all the time. Since 2016 there has been a 10% increase in households who can no longer make ends meet.
Our ten-point plan aims to support residents in every way we can, from the creation of a new £5m Cost of Living fund, and new support for voluntary organisations and independent advice services. We will build new council homes and create new job opportunities, because we know that this crisis isn’t just about what residents can afford to pay, but also what they can earn.
This Labour Council will use every power we have to support families across Southwark as we face this incredibly difficult time together.”
[SHARE OUR 10-POINT PLAN ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE]
[SHARE OUR 10-POINT PLAN ON TWITTER BY CLICKING HERE]
The cost of living crisis has plunged tens of thousands of Southwark residents into hardship. Analysis compiled by Citizens Advice Southwark estimates that 31% of households in Southwark are already in poverty, and the Council has identified 22,000 residents in need of financial support.
Southwark Labour is committed to doing everything within its power to tackle the crisis. This is our ten point plan:
- Creating of a new Cost of Living fund with over £5 million of critical funding that will support families who are struggling to make ends meet.
- Launching a Southwark Energy Savers Service, so residents can access the best advice to keep gas and electricity bills down while prices continue to spiral.
- Continuing our free healthy school meals provision for all primary and nursery school children and our holiday food programme for children during the summer period.
- Making Southwark a Right to Food Borough. This means working with local businesses, community groups and schools to ensure everyone in Southwark has access to healthy, affordable food within a short walk of their home. Meanwhile the council will do all it can to campaign for the national action needed to end food poverty for good.
- Delivering more homes at truly affordable rents. Building on our success starting 2,500 new council homes, by starting 1,000 more new council homes by 2026 and ensuring that new development delivers at least 35% truly affordable homes including at least 25% at social rents.
- Strengthening Southwark’s network of community-led hubs, continuing to invest in our local voluntary sector, including independent advice services, so wherever you live you can access free advice on money matters and find free local activities.
- Helping reduce energy bills for residents with a commitment to making our council homes warmer and greener with better insulation and modern heating.
- Creating a new Southwark Living Wage Unit to double the number of London Living Wage employers in our borough and make work pay for more of our residents.
- Delivering 2,000 new apprenticeships and 3,000 new training opportunities and free support to get a job for people who face the most barriers, so local people can take up careers in our borough’s growth industries. We’ll also create 250 paid internships for young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
- Keeping council tax low. Despite ongoing cuts to our budgets, we have kept council tax low and will continue to do so, only raising it to protect services for the most vulnerable.
[SHARE OUR 10-POINT PLAN ON FACEBOOK BY CLICKING HERE]
[SHARE OUR 10-POINT PLAN ON TWITTER BY CLICKING HERE]
