Angus councillors voiced concerns on Thursday about a probable rise in child poverty across the region during the winter months.
The issue was highlighted during a council chamber review of the Angus Joint Child Poverty Local Action Plan Report: Our Bright Futures.
Cross-party councillors expressed fears that pressures from the cost of living crisis, caused by high energy bills and inflation, will cause a rise in child poverty.
Their comments came the same day the cap on UK average household annual energy consumption was set at £2,500, almost double that for last year.
‘Prepare for the perfect storm’
George Meechan, SNP councillor for Kirriemuir and Dean said: “It’s vitally important, that we prepare ourselves for the perfect storm, we’ll call it, of the cost of living crisis.”
“I think we can actually see the start of it already. Some of the figures that have been provided in the report, for instance, the number of welfare rights enquiries: 2021, 2,235. 21/22, 3,500.
“So, a fairly substantial increase. I would suggest that’s going to go through the roof, fairly soon.”
‘High up the agenda’
Council Chief Executive, Margo Williamson responded: “This is high up the agenda, and it’s high up the agenda regularly.
“But obviously it’s come right front and centre of everyone’s minds, given what we know around the winter that’s coming, so I can give you that assurance.”
Scottish Labour councillor for Monifieth and Sidlaw, Heather Doran said: “Poverty is a complex situation and there’s a high risk that more people will enter poverty and different types of poverty over the winter that can (ultimately) affect child poverty.”
“There’s obviously a chance that people who aren’t in poverty and new groups of people are entering poverty and we need to make sure we’re monitoring that as a council.”
‘People that don’t have digital’
The development of two mobile phone apps are set out in the council’s action plan. One, intended to help tackle fuel insecurity, is led by NHS Tayside.
The other, led by Angus Council, aims to help school pupils pre-order menu choices. But access to these and other online aids were questioned.
Independent councillor for Brechin and Edzell Jill Scott said: “I’d like to see a communication strategy that targets more non-digital, for people that don’t have digital.
“I work with probably one of the most vulnerable groups. Many of them don’t have the smart phones. For these people that don’t have laptops and can’t access the internet – how do we reach them?”
The council was asked to consider shortening the report’s name to ‘Our
Bright Futures Report’, in order to reduce perceived stigma.
However, Arbroath East and Lunan Independent councillor, Lois Speed, disagreed:
“I think there’s stigma around poverty, but I don’t know if it’s the word itself. Disability is disability. Child protection is child protection.
I think poverty makes it very clear as what our agenda is….bright futures, ironically sounds like an energy company.”
Scottish Conservative and Unionist councillor for Forfar and District, Ross Greig added: “I personally don’t agree with the name change either. It seems to be sugar-coating a very serious problem that really shouldn’t be sugar-coated and should be seen for what it really is and that is poverty.”
This is a corrected version of the story first published as: “Angus welfare rights enquiries soar as council fears ‘perfect’ poverty storm”. Please note, headline and top paragraph are changed to reflect the accurate number of welfare rights enquiries in 2021. This is now 2,235, not 235 as originally published.
