Many of Salford's poorest people could have been plunged into further poverty as a result of, what appears like a massive administrative cock-up by Salford City Council which has left families without emergency help to pay crippling Council Tax debts.
This year the Council has increased Council Tax by 3.75%, while, last year, it forced everyone of working age to pay 15% of their bill, despite their circumstances. At the time, the Council stated it would affect an extra 17,700 people, with those hit living in the city's `most deprived' wards of Broughton, Langworthy, Little Hulton, Barton and Irwell Riverside (see previous Salford Star article click here).
Added to this are things like the Bedroom Tax and hikes in service charges by housing associations which have heaped more financial pressure on those least able to cope.
Despite a disgraceful 68% cut in emergency welfare funding from the Conservative Government, the Council still has a £546,000 Salford Discretionary Support Scheme (SDSS) set aside to help some of the city's poorest people in times of emergency, of which £50,000 is ring fenced "for people facing extreme hardship in relation to Council Tax".
This Council Tax Support Fund is supposed to "respond to immediate hardship from within the city" but a new Council report states that it is investigating why "Applications for this funding have not been progressed since the changes in housing services management".
The report is incredibly short on detail and merely states that the applications for help "were assessed and administered by Community Health and Social Care staff" but doesn't give any time scales as to how long those `facing extreme hardship in relation to Council Tax', have been put on hold. In the meantime, they could have been facing court charges, bailiff fees or more.
The report adds that "Outstanding applications are currently being processed", although it could be too late for those affected. Now, "A robust assessment system is being developed with the Council Tax service management team to ensure the applications are assessed, linked to the information held in the Council Tax service...", while an investigation into the cock-up is underway.
Meanwhile, there's been major problems with other aspects of Salford Council's £546,000 SDSS fund.... £330,000, set aside for Resettlement Grants which help cover the cost of setting up home via the supported tenancy service, have been "assessed, signed off for approval and administered via Salix Homes" the report reveals.
Salix, since last year, has become a private company, separate from Salford Council, yet it is deciding who gets Council grants...possibly its own tenants and nobody else... "Continuing with these arrangements could potentially lead to lack of transparency and conflict of interest" states the report.
It recommends "More effective marketing of the Resettlement Grant and Immediate
Emergency Assistance Grant, ensuring they are available to City West tenants, homeowners and private tenants..."
The report will be presented to Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, next week to link in with the Council's Anti Poverty Strategy. But how many people have been plunged further into poverty as a result of applications for Council Tax help not being "progressed" is a statistic not being revealed.
It's all very embarrassing for the new Mayor, who is due to address the Salford Poverty Truth Commission tomorrow...
The report also adds that during 2015 the Council allocated just £2,300 to "food banks, homeless services and breakfast clubs" within its discretionary scheme. This at a time when it approved £19million for the Royal Horticultural Society Garden in Worsley...
* The Salford Star would ask Salford Council to comment but it hasn't responded to any requests from this publication in over four years
See also related Salford Star articles...
Salford Poverty Truth Commission to be launched click here
Salford Council hands £19million to RHS Worsley Garden click here
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