Issue - meetings

13.1  Cost of Living Crisis

This Council calls on the Government to introduce an Emergency Budget to take urgent action to protect the people of Hackney from the cost of living crisis.

Council notes that:

Energy costs have risen by an average of £693 per household – and are set to rise even further, with Ofgem setting the energy price cap at £2800 from October

Food prices are soaring, some basic staples by as much as 20%

Inflation has hit 9% ? its highest level in 40 years

Personal Taxation is now at its highest level in 70 years

48% of children in Hackney live in poverty and 16.5% of local residents are claiming out-of-work benefits

Meanwhile £11.8bn of public money has been lost to fraud through the Governments covid support schemes

Council therefore resolves to write to the Prime Minister urging him to:

Introduce an immediate Emergency Budget to protect children, families, and pensioners from the worst fall in living standards in generations

Cut business rates for small businesses

Cut the VAT rate on energy bills

Increase the support available to all claimants through the welfare and benefits system

Deliver on the calls made by UNISON, the NEU and other education unions to expand the free school meals programme to all families receiving universal credit or an equivalent benefit

Fund Hackney Council’s Green Homes programme to retrofit homes helping to  reduce home energy consumption and cut energy bills.

The Council believes that the Emergency Budget must include real help for residents and local businesses in Hackney.

Proposer: Soraya Adejare; Seconder: Ifraah Samatar

The proposed amendments to the motion which were circulated before the meeting were  NOT CARRIED.

RESOLVED:

1.  To call on the Government to introduce an Emergency Budget to take urgent action to protect the people of Hackney from the cost of living crisis.

2.  To note that:

·  Energy costs have risen by an average of £693 per household – and are set to rise even further, with Ofgem setting the energy price cap at £2800 from October

·  Food prices are soaring, some basic staples by as much as 20%

·  Inflation has hit 9% ? its highest level in 40 years

·  Personal Taxation is now at its highest level in 70 years

·  48% of children in Hackney live in poverty and 16.5% of local residents are claiming out-of-work benefits

·  Meanwhile £11.8bn of public money has been lost to fraud through the Governments covid support schemes

3.  To write to the Prime Minister urging him to:

·  Introduce an immediate Emergency Budget to protect children, families, and pensioners from the worst fall in living standards in generations

·  Cut business rates for small businesses

·  Cut the VAT rate on energy bills

·  Increase the support available to all claimants through the welfare and benefits system

·  Deliver on the calls made by UNISON, the NEU and other education unions to expand the free school meals programme to all families receiving universal credit or an equivalent benefit

·  Fund Hackney Council’s Green Homes programme to retrofit homes helping to  reduce home energy consumption and cut energy bills.