Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendation.

Councillor Mullin introduced the report and explained that the Council, together with its partners, had been working to mitigate the full impacts of welfare reforms from falling upon vulnerable Flintshire residents.  The report considered how the Council would continue to manage the impacts of reforms introduced under the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

            An update was provided on the impacts that welfare reform continued to have on Flintshire residents and the work that was ongoing to mitigate it and support those households.

            Vulnerable households had been impacted significantly by Covid-19 and the report provided information on a 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 Chief Officer (Housing and Assets) drew Members’ attention to the detail provided in the report, on: removal of the spare room subsidy; benefit cap; Universal Credit, and the impact those had had in Flintshire.  He also provided details on: unemployment in Wales; unemployment in Flintshire; help to claim service; UC “managed migration”; County Tax Reduction Scheme; job retention scheme; NHS track and trace isolation support grant payment; carer’s bonus payment, support services and discretionary housing payment.

            He added that delivery of Personal Budgeting Support was no longer funded by Department of Work and Pensions.  However, welfare and budgeting support would continue to be provided by the Welfare Reform Team due to the extra resources that had been secured for the next two years and a further financial pressure had been highlighted for year three.

            Members expressed their thanks to the team for all of the help and support provided to residents to help prevent worse situations.

RESOLVED:

That the report and the ongoing work to manage the impacts that Welfare Reform has and will continue to have upon Flintshire’s most vulnerable households be supported.