Tracy Brabin steps in to fill void left by Westminster chaos to support people with cost of living

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said:

"We are taking urgent, direct action to help people and businesses across West Yorkshire with the cost-of-living crisis.  

"After a decade of austerity, it is a scandal that government inaction is still pushing people into poverty and driving up the use of food banks in a country that has the sixth biggest economy in the world.  

"And in the wake of yet another Prime Ministerial resignation, we don’t have time to wait for the outcome of another Tory leadership race. Therefore, as local leaders we must therefore step in and support these vital services that are helping keep our most vulnerable people warm and fed this winter. 

"In addition, we will support small and medium sized businesses that have been hit hard by the energy crisis to keep their costs down so that they can protect jobs and stay afloat during this difficult time."

The Mayor’s Cost of Living Emergency Fund will provide £3 million over the next 18 months to help the most vulnerable by addressing issues like food insecurity, fuel poverty and mental health. The support it funds will be delivered through local charities and voluntary organisations that are providing important services on the frontline, such as food banks, warm places and debt advice. This will be delivered in partnership with local authorities and the funding will keep these important services afloat during the forthcoming winter and up until 2024.

Further action to support businesses will see an Emergency Grant scheme rolled out to provide short-term, high-impact interventions to help businesses with their energy costs. Further details will be published shortly, but this could include providing 50% discounts towards new boilers, better insulation or more energy efficient lighting.

To help people in rented social housing, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority is doubling its investment in a retrofit project to improve energy efficiency targeting 1,700 additional households, on top of the 1,300 already benefitting. This will help those in social housing to reduce bills and help manage strained budgets.

In addition, an advisory scheme to help small and medium sized business to reduce their bills by being more energy efficient and sustainable will be extended later this year, with a further £10.6 million investment to support hundreds of businesses including those in the retail and hospitality sectors.

This action being announced today, follows the introduction of the Mayor’s Fares in September which brought down the cost of a single bus ticket down across West Yorkshire to a maximum of £2 and £4.50 for a day ticket. 

Other action already being taken includes helping people to get back into work or get more secure, better paid jobs through a Skills Connect programme and Employment Hubs.

Visit our cost of living support webpage for more information on the individual schemes and other important action being taken across West Yorkshire by local authorities in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.