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Cllr Chadderton with the Support and Inclusion Team
Cllr Chadderton with the Support and Inclusion Team
Published: Thursday, 15th December 2022

Households across Oldham are experiencing the worst squeeze on their incomes in decades, as the cost of living crisis continues to grapple people’s finances.

Soaring energy bills and inflated costs to food and other essentials has left residents with less money to live on and, more worryingly, even less to pay off new or existing debts.

But Oldham Council is here to help and following its recent £3 million support package into vital services, people in crisis are receiving further assistance in solving their money problems.

Part of this package includes investment into Oldham’s Support and Inclusion team (SIT), a service originally created during the pandemic which provides tailored support, signposting and referrals for residents who have been identified as having needs beyond one-off crisis support.

The team can offer emergency vouchers for food, energy and childcare, alongside referrals to the foodbank and Oldham’s Warm Homes scheme, however their primary focus is to look at the underlying causes of people’s financial difficulty.

This support can entail assistance in addressing a person’s debt problems, such as council tax debt, budgeting advice, and help with claiming welfare they are entitled to, but it can also signpost for help and support with general wellbeing, such as mental health support. 

Cllr Chadderton with the Support and Inclusion Team 2

The team develops relationships with the residents over time through regular check-ups to build up trust and to check they are okay, with some residents often choosing to contact the team directly if they fall back into difficulty.   

One recent case referred to the team by Positive Steps involved a resident who owed more than £1,000 on his rent and £2,000 in Council Tax arrears.

After speaking with the team and talking through their personal circumstances, colleagues discovered the resident hadn't rightfully been claiming Council Tax Reduction or a discretionary housing payment.

With help from the team on relevant applications, this resident now receives previously unclaimed financial relief which has not only helped them to reduce their rent arrears by £400, but they have also been able to reduce the amount owed in Council Tax by £900.

Leader of Oldham Council, Councillor Amanda Chadderton, said: “The current financial situation isn’t getting any easier for our residents and we know more people will sadly fall into crisis through no fault of their own.

“This is even harder for people on lower incomes who can only stretch their money so far before there is nothing left for them to spend.

“That is why we are making investments in vital services, like our Support and Inclusion team, as part of our We Can Help campaign, to ensure we can provide more help to residents and to support them in finding lasting solutions to their problems.

“So, if you are struggling to manage your money and cannot cope with the cost of living crisis, please come to us for help as saying nothing can sometimes make your financial situation worse.”

Last month, more than 1,300 residents contacted the council’s helpline for support – an increase of nearly 500 more calls compared to the same period last year.

Residents who are struggling during the cost of living crisis, either financially or with their wellbeing, can call the council’s helpline on 0161 770 7007 for support between the hours of 9am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday, or they can visit the council’s website at www.oldham.gov.uk/wecanhelp.

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