Issue - meetings

That the Committee support the ongoing work to manage the impacts that Welfare Reforms have and will continue to have upon Flintshire’s most vulnerable households.

The Benefits Manager introduced an update on the impacts that welfare reforms continued to have on Flintshire residents and the work that was ongoing to mitigate this and support these households.  Vulnerable households had also been significantly impacted by the pandemic, and the report also provided information around the range of measures that had been developed to help those affected by the current pandemic and the support provided to residents to help mitigate the negative impacts. 

The Benefits Manager spoke of the increased case load to Council Tax reduction and the increased spike from last year which had been recovered from Welsh Government’s finance fund, which illustrated the bigger picture of the pandemic and the support packages available.

The Benefits Manager expressed her concern around the end of the Furlough scheme in September, indicating that this would have a negative impact on vulnerable residents.  She added that the Pandemic support and isolation payments would remain in place for the £500 payments, but did comment that the number of people that were claiming had diminished.  She also added that the next Carers bonus was still in place and the next payment was due to go out again in July.

The Benefits Manager commented that there had been an increase in residents actively seeking support which was positive.

The Chairman congratulated the team on the work they were undertaking.  In response to a question around support, the Benefits Manager advised that referrals for support to the Welfare Reform Support Team had significantly increased.

The recommendation outlined within the report was moved by Councillor David Wisinger and seconded by Councillor Geoff Collett.  

RESOLVED:

That the Committee support the ongoing work to manage the impacts that Welfare Reforms have and will continue to have upon Flintshire’s most vulnerable households.