GBC Executive Agree on Priorities to Tackle Food Poverty and Insecurity

Published on: 1 Sep, 2019
Updated on: 4 Sep, 2019

Guildford Borough Council’s Executive has agreed (August 27) on ways to tackle food poverty and insecurity in our borough.

“Some areas are experiencing inequalities,” said Cllr Angela Goodwin (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas), lead for Housing, Homelessness, Access and Disability.

“In these neighbourhoods more than a quarter of children are living in poverty, and it is not only problems with benefits that cause food poverty. Some families with both parents working also struggle to pay for food.”

The recommendations include:

• Agreement that food poverty and insecurity need priority action;

• Providing food aid as part of a wider umbrella project delivering a range of services;

• The council leader will write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions outlining the problems caused by Universal Credit and other welfare reforms, and call for immediate action; and

• By supporting that pay should reflect living costs, the council should be an accredited real Living Wage employer and promote the Living Wage scheme to local employers.

Cllr Julia McShane

Cllr Julia McShane (Lib Dem, Westborough), lead for Health and Wellbeing, the Voluntary Sector, Grants Panel, Play Strategy and Project Aspire, added: “The Executive is grateful for the work of the group, led by Cllr [Angela] Goodwin, for highlighting the impact food poverty has on so many families on our borough.

“While recognising many of the underlying issues are outside control of the council, I am determined that we take the actions we can to help those affected.

“I am grateful to all of those who work in our community to help those in need and I will be working with the group to see what more we can do, with an update on progress to Overview and Scrutiny in November.”

Proposed actions include:

• Increased promotion of existing initiatives that target food poverty and insecurity and provide help to residents in hardship (including, Surrey’s Local Assistance Scheme, the Discretionary Housing Payments fund, Guildford’s Local Council Tax Support Hardship fund, the Mayor’s Local Distress Fund, and emergency food aid providers); and

• Publicising on the council’s website and through partners the present provision of food aid accessible to Guildford borough residents.