At the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday SNP and Green Councillors will propose plans to pay hundreds of pounds to the most in need across the city.
Under the plans, families would receive £200 per child who is already in receipt of a school clothing grant or free school meals. This would be drawn from an apparent £13.7 million budget underspend.
Both political groups say this plan is fully costed alongside a substantive uplift of £8.35 million in social care funding and a call for the NHS to match-fund the remaining budget pressure on services. Other joint budget proposals aimed at helping people facing poverty include the reinstatement of a grant fund for tenants and funding to ensure council workers are paid the real living wage.
Recognising the risks of climate change – both to people’s homes and livelihoods, and to economic sustainability – the spending plan also includes money for natural flood defences and supporting community groups to run sustainability projects.
SNP Group Leader Councillor Adam Nols-McVey said: “The Tory cost-of-living crisis is crippling families and shockingly the support that should have been available throughout the year of money and advice for folk has been decimated under this Labour-led Council.
“We’re pleading with colleagues to make this payment to families in need of it now which will mean the difference of a winter coat, the heating getting turned on through the cold weather and decent food on the plate.
“We’re also asking other councillors to take this opportunity to reverse hugely damaging education cuts that the Labour-Tory-LibDem administration passed in February. It’s not too late to save the education welfare officer team who work with some of the hardest to reach families across the city. “
Green Co-Convenor Councillor Alys Mumford said: “Following on from our joint budget proposal in February which saw labour vote for potential privatisation and redundancies rather than back our proposals for social and climate justice spending, Green and SNP Councillors are now calling for the underspent budget to go where it is most needed – to supporting health and social care, helping people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, and tackling the climate and nature emergencies.
“While Council Officers are right to highlight the damning deficit facing the Integrated Joint Board, this is just one crisis facing the city. Our proposals recognise the need for additional funding for health and social care – and call on the NHS to play their part too – but also aim to redistribute spending to tackling poverty, homelessness and climate change to make sure we are helping those most in need.”
Watch the Finance Committee at this link here from 10am.
