COST OF LIVING CRISIS: Council agrees yet another package of measures to help locals after a Liberal Democrat motion sought more action but they will have to be costed and approved at a later committee to ensure the council can afford the proposals
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Dozens of additional measures have been accepted by Highland Council to help called for by three Liberal Democrat councillors
Amid an exceptionally bleak outlook for the next few months, to help ease the cost of living crisis the measures were adopted unanimously.
But due to the cost implications to the local authority they will have to be approved via committee so while accepted in principle, they will have to be agreed to be subjected to a full review.
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The move by Councillors David Gregg, Angela MacLean, and Alex Graham was prompted by the bleak outlook on the cost of living crisis.
The measure included:
- Set up ‘heat hubs’ in council owned buildings to provide warm spaces for those unable to heat their homes in the winter months.
- Organise a local Emergency Cost-of-Living Summit, inviting all relevant parties including from Citizens Advice to food banks, unions, NHS Highland, and MP/MSPs to explore local solutions to the crisis
- Review all council-owned housing for retrofitting of energy saving measures such as insulation to protect tenants from price increases and keep them warmer this winter
- Review eligibility criteria for all council administered benefits to ensure these criteria still include all those who need support given the projected massive rise in fuel and food bills
- Review the council’s food waste strategy to ensure no unused or expiring food from council premises, including schools, ends up in landfill
- Revive and support the community resilience structures which helped many communities through Covid, including offering council-owned kitchens such as school/community centres for the provision of hot meals
Worst cost of living crisis in half a century
Cllr Gregg, a doctor who is part of the May intake of new members, asked the council to recognise that “we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years. Inflation is forecast to hit 18 per cent next year.”
He added that: “The Highlands is already one of the worst areas in the country for fuel poverty with one in three of our households already in it, double the national average.
“The energy plan proposed by the UK government will do nothing to help those reliant on heating oil and other domestic fuels which are not included in the energy price cap.
“Many households are already at the brink and will struggle to pay their heating bills with prices as they are, even if the October price increase is frozen.”
Call for more government action
The council would also be called on to rite to the UK Government to ask for:
- A support scheme for households reliant on heating oil and other domestic fuels currently excluded from all proposed plans
- Extend the Rural Fuel Duty Relief Scheme to 10p a litre, and expand the scheme to cover all postcodes in the Highland area
- Reduce VAT to 17.5 per cent, saving the average Highland household £600 a year
Re-introduce the pensions triple lock to support the Highland’s pensioners, saving elderly residents an additional £300
The Scottish Government would be asked to:
- Expand coverage of the Highland Railcard Scheme to all Highland postcodes and all Highland rail services
- Increase disability benefits to the maximal allowable amount
- Fund urgent insulation schemes to help keep people warm this winter, and protect them from massive price rises
