Cost-of-living stats show schools in West Berkshire ask for help

Sir Keir Starmer's 'light at the end of the tunnel' seems a distant reach for many in West Berkshire, as latest cost-of-living statistics reveal a depressing picture.

Citizens Advice West Berkshire (CAWB) continues to see the same three issues dominating their requests for advice; welfare benefits, debt and housing.

The numbers of clients contacting CAWB about housing issues has also steadily increased year on year and continues to do so. CAWB expect this trend to continue.

This includes issues such as private sector eviction (section 21), rent arrears, homelessness, housing conditions and neighbour issues.

The Community Resource Centre (CRC) reports the rate of requests for assistance with essential household goods continuing to remain high. In the period April 1 to August 31, a total of 220 referrals to the Essential Household Goods Scheme (EHGS) were fulfilled at a cost of £70,362.

This was for items such as furniture, beds, bedding and white goods.

During the same period last year, CRC fulfilled 174 cases at a cost of £60,274. Therefore, cases have increased by 26.4 per cent.

During the same period (April to August 2024) 142 of the applications received were from West Berkshire Council.

This is a slight reduction on previous periods with more applications being received from schools and local charities than was previously the case. Seventy per cent of all cases related to families in need.

Financial hardship continues to be by far the most oft cited reason.

West Berks Foodbank reports that client numbers are relatively steady although they have a slight uplift with clients who are disabled and claiming PIP.

In the past three months the foodbank has seen 157 new households come to it for support who have never used a foodbank before.

In addition, it supported 555 families during the school holidays, feeding more than 1,200 children.

Due to a lack of stock it purchased 10,421kg of food and essential items to cover this period.

The foodbank reports unprecedented low stock, but hopes this will improve with "an exceptional harvest festival".

Newbury Christians Against Poverty (NCAP) reports a continual steady flow of clients since it re-opened the debt centre in January 2024.

Some clients have already been made debt-free by way of the Debt Relief Order (DRO) insolvency route.

NCAP reports that this looks like being the most common route out of debt for its clients as they have built up debts over a period of time which they cannot afford to repay.

The DRO means they will find it very difficult to get credit, but NCAP works hard with its clients to agree upon a sustainable budget which they can live off moving forward. For some this means seeking further income and reducing expenditures.

NCAP also reports the vast majority of its clients have accompanying health issues.