Greenwich council motion to offer residents £50 rebate for cost of living help
By Kiro Evans, Local Democracy Reporter
Greenwich residents could be in line for an immediate £50 tax rebate to help battle the cost of living crisis.
The opposition Conservative Party has put forward a motion which they say could help around 100,000 households in the borough.
The Tory motion will be debated at full council next week as the cost of living crisis continues to put pressure on families. The three remaining Conservative councillors have urged Labour to back the proposal.
If voted through, it would see the £50 rebate come on top of the £150 from Government, and would affect band A-D households as well as all households eligible for Council Tax Support.
The new Conservative Greenwich leader, Matt Hartley, said: “The £50 Cost of Living Rebate that I am proposing will help more than 99,700 households in our borough, and can be paid for by more than £4.9 million of Government funding that is currently sitting untouched.”
Earlier this week, the council published proposals on how it will distribute £2.4 million of Household Support Grant funding from the Government up until September. Under the plans, targeted payments will be made that ensure that residents struggling to meet basic needs such as food, energy and bills are supported.
Council leader Anthony Okereke: “The rising cost of living is not news to many of our residents who may already be feeling the strain, but we want you to know we are here to support you.
“Together we will tackle the inequalities affecting the most vulnerable residents in our community.”
The two parties will face off on the cost of living issue at the first full council meeting since the May local elections next week.
Pictured top: Greenwich Town Hall in Woolwich (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Ethan Doyle White)
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