Crisis grant applications have rocketed by 65% and online benefits checks unlocked payments worth millions for Angus residents struggling during the pandemic.
The rises have been accompanied by a 75% spike in web chat calls to the area’s Access helpline, alongside a 180% rise in email traffic.
As the authority revealed the setting up of a dedicated Humanitarian Assistance Angus Response Team (HAART) website and helpline, officials revealed the scale of increases in many areas of service.
In a single week, 1,213 people used the online benefits calculator to identify potential benefits of £3.4 million.
The authority revealed it had received 535 crisis grant requests in March to lever cash to help meet emergency costs.
“This an increase of 65% on the amount usually received in a month,” said a spokesperson.
The council has made 200,000 bin collections since March 23, with only 0.05% reported as missed, and every household mixed-recycling and general waste bin round completed.
Angus is also now paying free school meal entitlement directly into the bank accounts of parents and carers, and operating 11 childcare hubs for key workers.
They are in place in each of the burghs, and at Liff to serve the Sidlaws.
However, it has emerged one of the three Arbroath hubs was empty on at least three days last week.
The hubs are operating at Ladyloan, Hayshead and Inverbrothock primaries.
Education director Kelly McIntosh said: “We are keeping it open.
“Our head teachers have been very pro-active and they now have the rotas that the NHS and emergency services work so they know the shifts and we can project that two weeks forward.”
Last week, Angus officials added Burnside primary as a second Carnoustie hub alongside Carlogie school in response to local demand.
The hubs will operate from 8.45am to 6pm throughout the Easter holiday.
The maximum number attending on any one day so far has been 125, almost 90% of them the children of key workers.
In all, 42 of Angus council’s buildings are now closed to the public in line with Government guidance.
Angus Health and Social Care Partnership are delivering more than 9,000 hours of weekly care to in excess of 1,500 people, including 800 daily hot meals.
