West Devon Borough Council October Report
WDBC October 2022 Councillor’s report
Parish Links Meeting
Tuesday 4th October 18:30- 19:30 we will be holding the Team West Devon (Parish Links) Southern meeting on Microsoft Teams.
The meeting will include discussion on Levelling up, how we can all work together in response to the Cost of Living and an opportunity to you to raise any local issues.
Advice on the Cost of Fuel
We are all feeling the pinch as the fuel crisis escalates. However, there are some things that you can do right now that might help alleviate some of the pressure. The government has a number of different schemes that you can apply for, depending on your personal circumstances, and there are people out there that you can speak to if you need help wading through the information.
You can also get help through the Household Support Fund. If you are struggling to afford food, utility bills or other essentials then you can apply for help from the fund,
What is the Household Support Fund?
We know that a large number of our residents are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. The Household Support Fund is available to provide rapid short-term financial support to meet immediate needs and help those who are struggling to afford food, energy and water bills, and other related essentials this year.
The scheme runs until 30 September 2022 and is designed to help ease financial pressure on residents and to support those most in need this summer whilst the economy recovers.
Due to the limited amount of funds we have available, we will prioritise items necessary for day to day living such as food, energy costs and essential household items.
We recognise that we cannot predict every challenge that residents may face, so we will be accepting applications for other essential types of support which cannot be budgeted for and which deliver on the aims of this scheme. These items will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Our eligibility criteria balances supporting as many residents as we can with targeting our limited funds to support those who need our help the most;
Applicants must: Be over the age of 16; and Live in the council area (as your main residence); and be without sufficient resources to meet the immediate short-term needs of themselves or dependents.
Not every application will be awarded. The scheme will not award: Mortgage support – however homeowners could still qualify for the other elements of the Fund (such as food, energy, water, essentials linked to energy and water and wider essentials). Where a homeowner is having difficulty with their mortgage payments, they should contact their lender as soon as possible to discuss their circumstances, as lenders will have a set procedure to assist.
RURAL NET ZERO
A link with an introduction to achieving net zero carbon emissions in rural areas.
Graham Biggs MBE, “Introduction to Rural Net Zero”, please follow this link:
https://rsnonline.org.uk/images/conference/rural-conference-2022/rural-net-zero-session/introduction-to-rural-net-zero.pdf
Cllr Lynn Daniel