Skip to main content
Banner image for Wokingham

Wokingham

Conservatives
Site logo

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Upcoming Events
  • Campaigns
  • Contact Us
  • John Redwood
  • Postal Voting
  • Modern Conservatism
  • Join
  • Our map
  • Meet Our Team

Driving out Poverty: Fair and equal opportunity for all in Wokingham

  • Tweet
no place for poverty

“Regardless of whatever statutory benchmark used to analyse poverty levels across the borough, Wokingham is one of the lowest in the country. But that doesn’t mean we’re complacent. It is certainly not okay,” said John Halsall, leader of the council.

“Even if one person or one child does not have fair and equal opportunity in our borough, that is one too many. We already have a wide net of support for low income families and are introducing even more. We’ll be discussing our approach to our Anti-Poverty Strategy, which will encompass all of these, at a forthcoming Executive meeting.”

The causes and effects of low income are wide ranging and damage standards of living and accessibility to health and wellbeing - in particular mental health and social inclusion.  

Poverty level trends are driven by changes in the employment rate, earnings, benefits and other income such as pensions, and housing costs. Although these factors cannot always be influenced locally, and they might be restricted by central government policy, local council knowledge of its residents is crucial knowing where best to target support.

Depending on what definition of poverty is used – whether based on before or after housing costs are taken into account - the Wokingham Borough has consistently been one of the least deprived unitary authority areas in England (ranking least deprived in 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation). But people and families on low incomes do exist in the borough so the council has a number of measures in place to ensure the borough’s opportunities can be accessed by everyone.  

In response to the pandemic, Wokingham Borough Council and its partner organisations have implemented a number of interventions including: 

  • Flexible repayment plans for Council Tax and distributing the Council Tax Hardship Fund

  • Financial support to eligible providers within the voluntary and community sector through the service sustainability fund

  • £20m in Business Support grants and £20m of other reliefs 

  • Extending funding to ‘One front door’ via Citizens Advice Wokingham giving struggling residents a single point for help and advice on unemployment debt, statutory sick pay/ benefits, mental health and wellbeing, and prescription collections or shopping service if they’re self-isolating

  • Supporting residents via the community engagement team including referrals to other local organisations that focus on hardship

  • Support for council tenants via the tenancy sustainment team

  • Supporting rough sleepers into accommodation through the ‘All In’ policy

The effects of the pandemic on the borough are a moving target, and as such the council and its partners must develop responses to tackle them.

New measures include the following:

  • Eco-Flex and Green Home Grants schemes to alleviate fuel poverty
  • Temporary accommodation for rough sleepers to March 2021
  • A private rented sector access fund
  • A rough sleeper programme including homes designed with wraparound support to help them
  • Enhanced mental health support
  • Influence economic recovery via economic renewal recovery and a business task force
  • Actions through the Berkshire Recovery Group Hardship workstream
  • A full time debt management worker

“Wokingham Borough is one of the best places to live and work in the UK,” said John Halsall, “and as such what poverty we do have, it has no place in the borough. We are unswerving in our mission to fight and work with our partners to drive up the living standards and drive out poverty for all our residents.”

News

john redwood mp

Universal credit

Monday, 18 January, 2021

Yesterday I accepted the Prime Minister’s advice and abstained on the Opposition day motion. I was in two minds about it and gave the government the benefit of the doubt.

JKaiser

Review of eligibility for single person's council tax discount

Monday, 2 November, 2020

We urge any council tax payers who know their circumstances have changed, or who are unsure if they may be eligible, to get in contact with the council to discuss. If their concern is a financial one our team are team are always happy to discuss options and there may be other discounts that the household qualifies for instead.

help

Driving out Poverty: Fair and equal opportunity for all in Wokingham

Thursday, 29 October, 2020

“Wokingham Borough is one of the best places to live and work in the UK,” said John Halsall, “and as such what poverty we do have, it has no place in the borough. We are unswerving in our mission to fight and work with our partners to drive up the living standards and drive out poverty for all our residents.”

Support for families struggling in the Wokingham Borough

Monday, 26 October, 2020

Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic we have worked hard to support our residents who have faced a huge amount of pressure. No family or individual should go hungry in Wokingham Borough, now or in the future. We encourage anyone who is concerned about not being able to afford food for themselves, or their family, to contact our One Front Door service for immediate support.  
We’re very grateful for the local businesses and others in the community have made the offer to support families during half-term.

JKaiser

Are you self-isolating and eligible for financial support?

Wednesday, 21 October, 2020

People having to self-isolate due to Covid-19 may be eligible to a £500 payment if they are unable to work from home.

Who is eligible?  These are the people who meet all these criteria:

help

“Wokingham Borough is one of the best places to live and work in the UK,” said John Halsall,

“and as such what poverty we do have, it has no place in the borough."

"We are unswerving in our mission to fight and work with our partners to drive up the living standards and drive out poverty for all our residents.”

Wokingham Conservatives

Footer

  • About RSS
  • Accessibility
  • Cookies
  • Privacy
  • About Us
Site logoPromoted by Alison Swaddle on behalf of Wokingham Conservatives, both at 30 Rose Street, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 1XU.
Copyright 2021 Wokingham Conservatives . All rights reserved.
Powered by Bluetree