Poverty initiative saves £1.7M for Renfrewshire’s poorest families

RENFREWSHIRE’s pioneering anti-poverty initiative has saved £1.7 million for people living in the area’s poorest households.

Councillors were updated yesterday that the £6 million Tackling Poverty Programme has increased income for families overwhelmed by benefit cuts, low wages and the increasing cost of living over the past 18 months.

A report to the Council’s Leadership Board said that Tackling Poverty projects are now achieving significant financial gains for citizens across Renfrewshire through welfare and benefits advice, savings on debt management, support for cost of the school day and the provision of more than 16,000 healthy meals for children through breakfast clubs across the area.

Further measures to boost people’s access to affordable credit, money management advice and credit union membership were also approved today, with a £75,260 of grant funding for Johnstone Credit Union, White Cart Credit Union, Gleniffer Credit Union and Engage Renfrewshire.

Councillor Mark Macmillan, Leader of Renfrewshire Council, said:

“Tackling poverty is a fundamental priority for this Council and I am pleased to see that investment in our Tackling Poverty Programme is making a really encouraging difference to our poorest people, who are nowhere near ‘just about managing’.

“Poverty at the level we are witnessing in Renfrewshire – and beyond – is simply unacceptable in any advanced 21st-century society.  It is time for those at the highest levels of Government to do everything in their power to end this situation.”