Vital support for residents in Birmingham to continue amid Iran war fears

Cabinet members at Labour-run Birmingham Council today agreed to accept new government funding and continue its established cost-of-living programme.

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The support it provides includes a network of over 300 Warm Welcome community hubs and a food support ‘ecosystem’ that helps around 24,000 households per week.

But at a council meeting on Tuesday, concerns were raised that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could inflict financial pain on residents here in Birmingham through rising costs.

Roger Harmer, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “My question relates to the current international situation, which very sadly may lead to quite a severe escalation of heating and fuel prices.

“If it continues, that could feed through into food and all sorts of other costs.

“What is the mechanism we can review [the programme] in light of significantly changing circumstances that the international situation may force on us?”

A council officer responded by saying the programme had been designed “to be quite flexible to respond to the dynamic changes”.

On the particular situation in Iran, he told the meeting: “We have a very good food provision in place at the moment – we support around 170 foodbanks directly.

“We’re already in discussions around the next winter and the impacts that this might have.

“We have very strong energy partners on the ground who are starting to think about what we need to do in addition to what we’ve done in previous years to hedge those risks.

“But broadly speaking, the programme is quite dynamic and responsive.”

Cabinet members agreed to accept around £86 million over the next three financial years as part of the government’s new crisis and resilience fund.

The government says it is providing this funding to allow local councils to provide preventative support to communities and assist people facing financial crisis.

Coun Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of the council, said a network of community organisations, volunteers and partners had shown “remarkable commitment” through its work with the council.

She continued that the cost-of-living programme had helped “knit” this network together to both respond to “urgent hardship” and build the foundations for “long-term community strength, dignity and resilience”.

She added that thousands of households had been supported through hardship grants while a council pilot had provided free school meals to hundreds of eligible children.