A TWO-YEAR funding package totalling £8m aimed at supporting Barnsley’s hardest-hit residents has been signed off by the council.
At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, councillors rubber stamped the funding which will see £4m rolled out this winter in ‘targeted’ support.
This investment has been made possible by additional one-off funds from an improved local government financial settlement for 2025 to 2026 which has already supported schemes such as the free bus travel for under 18s and financial support for businesses.
Barnsley Council’s council tax support scheme will be boosted, with new improvements including a 100 per cent reduction for households where one occupant is nearing end-of-life due to a terminal illness.
Other proposed schemes include a £100 cost of living allowance for for working age people and pensioners that are receiving council tax support.
This will be extended to care leavers, people in support accommodation and those who have a council tax exemption due to a severe mental impairment.
This is estimated to support more than 16,000 people and more than 7,800 pensioners.
Around 11,000 will also be supported through a scheme with Yorkshire Water which will automatically award eligible households with water bill reductions through the WaterSure and Water Support schemes.
While a £500 travel allowance to support employed residents who receive the support has also been mooted.
his financial support is designed to help cover travel costs, making it easier for people on low incomes to access work opportunities and benefit from Barnsley’s well-connected transport network.
The proposal is estimated to support over 3,000 residents.
A report states the funding is important to the council’s overall strategy.
It added: “We aim to make Barnsley a place where everyone can thrive, feel safe, and live a healthy life.
“Financial and other support will help our most disadvantaged residents’ access warm homes and employment by reducing financial barriers.
“Pathways to Work aims to reduce economic inactivity by addressing obstacles to workforce participation, including health issues and caregiving responsibilities.
“To further this objective, we propose strengthening existing support measures to facilitate sustained employment.
“Costs have been forecast based on current entitlement this could fluctuate but the impact is expected to be minimal.
“We are unable to estimate the cost of the discretionary council tax reduction,as this will be an application-based award and we have no data to estimate the numbers.
“There will be no direct impact to the medium-term financial strategy as this will adjust the amount of council tax available to collect in the financial year.”
More information about these financial support schemes will be shared over the coming weeks.
Coun Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for core services, said: “We want to do everything we can to support our residents to have more money in their pockets this winter.
“That’s why Barnsley Council is investing in an innovative approach to reviewing our council tax related support schemes to identify where we can make a difference for those who need it most.”
