Cost-of-living crisis: Residents invited to raise concerns and seek advice at online council event next month

Hackney’s mayor has urged people to seek help ‘as soon as possible’

Hackney residents are set to have a chance to ask questions about the support available to them during the cost-of-living crisis.

The council is staging an online event next month that will bring together experts from Hackney CVS and Volunteer Centre Hackney, among others.

It wants to find out about people’s concerns as well as pointing them to help that’s available already.

The event on Wednesday 9 November will give details on how the council is managing the impacts of the economic crisis on residents, staff, businesses and services.

People can also find out how they can get involved in helping the community.

The Town Hall has published a paper and online booklet with details of places offering help with utility bills, benefits, food and groceries, and health.

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville, who will speak at the event, is urging people to ask for help “as soon as possible” rather than suffer in silence.

He said the council is using schemes such as the household support fund to support struggling families.

The borough leader added that the soaring cost of food, fuel and housing is “leaving people with tough decisions about how to cover their bills”.

Cllr Caroline Woodley, cabinet member for families, early years and play, told a recent full council meeting it is a “disgrace” that there is “embedded poverty” in Hackney.

Nearly half of children in the borough live in poverty, which Woodley linked to the cost of housing, childcare fees, and insecure and low wages.

She spoke of her concern about the long-term impacts of this trauma on families.

So far this year, 18,000 of the 32,000 children likely to be in poverty have received support from the council.

Woodley said calls to Citizens Advice have gone up “exponentially” as people asked for help.

“So many people have gone above and beyond in Hackney to support our families.”

People can sign up for the event, which runs from 6.30pm to 8pm, here.