Fund to help Falkirk residents struggling with cost of living now over £1 million

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A fund to help Falkirk residents struggling with the cost of living crisis will receive a further £1 million to help people cope through to next winter.

Members of Falkirk Council 's executive heard today (Tuesday) that with spiralling food and fuel prices, a quarter of parents now say they are worried about being able to provide food for their families.

And the council wants to make it as easy as possible for people who are finding things difficult to get help. Read more: Falkirk plan to swap on-street parking for wider pavements and cycle lanes Falkirk Council staff across all departments are now being trained in how to help people who are in poverty get all the support they are entitled to.An estimated £36 million worth of benefits goes unclaimed every year in the Falkirk area - according to national figures - and the council wants to make it as easy as possible for people to find out exactly what they are entitled to.In a rare show of unity, the proposals were put forward by the SNP council leader, Cecil Meiklejohn, and seconded by Labour group leader Anne Hannah.

The Conservatives and Independents also offered their support.The council's Income Maximisation Strategy sets out how it wants to improve knowledge of poverty, not just among council staff but also those in the third sector who directly work with households and communities It also wants to develop simple, easy to use tools and resources - such as the online benefits calculator - that mean households can check their own eligibility for benefits and in-kind support or support others to do so.