Anglesey council and CAB Ynys Môn have received a significant boost in their efforts to help tackle the cost of living crisis.
The Improving Anglesey Residents’ Financial Resilience and Wellbeing Project has received £250,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Working in partnership with CAB Ynys Môn, the council’s housing services will use the funding to reduce poverty and hardship by providing the Island’s residents with community-based financial inclusion and debt advice.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and will provide funding over the next two years up until March 2025. The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
Go to the GOV.UK website to find out more about the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus (this link will open a new tab in your browser.)
Over the coming weeks, support will be delivered through utilising existing community spaces. This will include one to one bespoke support for residents in difficulties.
Additional events and workshops will also be organised in order to raise awareness on the different types of support for households – with input from partners such as Welsh Water, Warm Wales, ECO4 and NEST.
All support and advice provided is free and confidential. This will include:
- accessing information about utility bills and financial assistance that may be available for water/gas and electric, including accessing credit for pre-payment meters for those who are having to self-isolate and are unable to visit a pay-point
- accessing foodbanks if someone has no income/savings to buy food
- budgeting advice
- reporting any changes on Universal Credit Journal or managing a Universal Credit claim online
Anglesey’s Head of Housing Services, Ned Michael, explained, “We’re now in the grips of a national cost of living crisis. This is having a profound effect on some of our residents and we’re seeing a substantial increase in demand in support from our Financial Inclusion Team and staff at the J. E. O’Toole Centre in Holyhead.”
CAB Ynys Môn Chief Executive, Jackie Blackwell added, “This boost in funding will enhance our services within our more rural communities on Anglesey. We are developing an approach to work in partnership with the council’s Financial Inclusion Team in order to provide bespoke, community-based initiatives and one to ones for Anglesey residents.”
Council Leader, Councillor Llinos Medi, is leading the authority’s response to the cost of living crisis. She added, “We’re seeing the many challenges borne out of this national crisis affecting the lives of families, businesses and residents – young and old – on our island.”
She added, “The SPF funding secured will help us reach out to our very rural communities and increase our presence and visibility with support to tackle poverty. We will continue to work closely with our valued partners CAB Ynys Môn to deliver engagement sessions and one to one meetings in order to support and address financial hardship to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”
We would encourage Anglesey residents who require further support to contact:
Ends 26 March 2024