WORCESTER Foodbank say potential council funding is welcome as Universal Credit has already hit their clients, with the number of people using food banks set to reach around 10,000 this year.

Worcester City Council’s communities committee are set to consider offering a £15,000 grant to the charity every year for the next three years, as the government’s overhaul of the welfare system continues. Universal Credit is the government’s welfare scheme which aims to simplify the benefits system for working age people by bringing together out of work and in work benefits, improve the transition to employment and remove disincentives to work. Full Service Universal Credit was introduced to new claimants in the city last October and 6,600 families, including 11,300 children, could be affected. But the scheme has proved controversial, with charities saying Universal Credit delays were the main reason for food bank referrals.

As well as a decision on the grant at the February 4 meeting, councillors will also decide whether to extend the reach of the authority’s exceptional hardship fund to include claims from residents who have applied for Universal Credit. The £77,278 fund currently supports claimants facing particular financial difficulties and have council tax arrears, which they are struggling to pay. Claims would be reviewed and if successful, payment made to an applicant within three days.

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Councillor Lynn Denham, the committee's vice chairman, said: “Our priority is to ensure that local people waiting for Universal Credit payments don’t struggle to pay for basic living expenses. We are therefore looking to offer swift additional short term financial support in cases where it is needed.”

Worcester Food Bank provides and distributes about 75,000 meals a year and this is forecast to rise to more than 100,000 meals this year, as the number of people using food banks is expected to increase 50 per cent to around 10,000 by the end of 2019.

Grahame Lucas, Worcester Foodbank's manager, said: “We’re already witnessing the hardship that Universal Credit is bringing to bear on a growing number of our clients who are being pulled into crisis due to lengthy payment delays or reduced income. Having the backing of the city council would help us to withstand the mounting pressure this is putting on our supplies and finances so we can provide a sustainable safety net for our struggling clients.”

If agreed by the committee, both matters would go to the Policy & Resources Committee for a final decision.