“For too many people in Sheffield life is expensive" councillor says as cost of living support offered
“We know that for too many people in Sheffield, life is expensive and difficult”
Sheffield City Council is reevaluating how it can support people struggling with the cost of living as data shows that one in three children are living in poverty.
Cost of living pressures have been mounting for years now, with the latest Department for Work and Pension data showing that as of 2024, some 31 per cent of children were living in low income households nationally.
As of the same time, 14 per cent of children were living in ‘deep material poverty’ - defined as families not being able to afford essential items.
Since then fuel prices have reached new record highs, while housing costs and bills also leave many struggling to cover day-to-day costs.
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Amidst all of this, the council is reevaluating its approach to financial support in an attempt to better tackle modern problems.
“We know that for too many people in Sheffield, life is expensive and difficult,” said Councillor Elle Dodd, chair of the Finance and Performance Policy Committee.
“About one in four people in Sheffield and one in three children are living in poverty.
“In my ward, Manor Castle, I see this in the conversations I have and in the casework I get that a lot of people are really struggling.
“As a council, we want to make sure that people get support early on and that it's easy to access to make sure that people can get advice, can get access to crisis or hardship funding, can tackle the debt issues that they have, and that we make sure that they're getting all the benefits that they're entitled to.”
As of April this year, the council launched its ‘crisis and resilience fund’ to support people with housing costs and prevent homelessness.
Throughout this winter, crisis grant levels will increase by £30 per household to support with heating bills.
Meanwhile council tax support helps around 50,000 low-income houses with more than £42 million a year and the council tax hardship scheme provides £2.8 million of support each year to help around 8,5000 households .
Support and advice is also offered through services like Citizen’s Advice.
“We also help with crisis grants for people who are facing other kinds of financial difficulties,” Coun Dodd added.
“And we help with debt relief and make sure that people don't get themselves into the spiral poverty that we know loan sharks and payday loans can end up making people face.”
She also said that the council have introduced a ‘brown envelope policy’ intended to signpost support and advice to people who are failing to pay council tax.
Coun Dodd’s finance committee hosted a specific poverty and cost of living meeting on Monday, October 19, where they particularly discussed how council finances can help respond to emerging struggles.
However, she acknowledges that this is an issue the council can’t tackle alone.
She added: “We're working really closely with all of the volunteer sector and other partners across Sheffield, and of course we're lobbying Government to make sure that we've got as much money as we we need to fund local services.
“But there are things that we can do as a council.
“So for example, this winter we're putting up the crisis payments by £30 per person because we know that people are dealing with higher costs across the city and we want to make sure that for those most in need, they get the support that they need to be able to thrive this winter.”
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