Councillors agree to combat the impact of deprivation and poverty

There was unanimous agreement from East Devon district councillors last week on the need for rapid action to reduce deprivation and poverty in the area.

During the pandemic, the NHS, local government and local communities have really come together, reshaping their work in an effort to contain the infection and protect the most vulnerable people.

There have been detailed studies by academics and think tanks such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation about the likely results of the pandemic on increasing poverty.

Applications for Universal Credit have doubled and that is without any potential negative effects of Brexit and when the government furlough scheme ends.

The highest numbers of households in deprivation in East Devon are in parts of Exmouth, Honiton, Sidford and Seaton where hundreds of households are measured as being in deprivation in multiple ways.

One in three local children are from deprived homes, where things like a laptop allowing them to continue their education at school or home would be a big help. Action in these places would halve serious deprivation in East Devon.

Nationally, the hospitality, tourism, retail and food sectors are expected to be hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with one in four employees being furloughed and many sole traders have closed temporarily.

In East Devon, 8,500 residents are now on Universal Credit, up from 4,000 last March. The local economy is dependent on self-employed people and, while there has been help for those trading before 2020, there has not for those who started a new business in 2020.

A motion put forward by Councillor Mike Allen and other members of the council's Conservative Group was met with cross party support last week, resulting in a unanimous vote by all councillors to offer speedy and effective help without delay.

Councillor Allen said: "At first sight, the challenges facing us today appear overwhelming, so we have set out to see what we could do at speed to help the poorest in our East Devon and help them to cope during the extreme and unprecedented circumstances we have seen this year.

"One in six mortgages went into default this year, although many recovered during the summer. However, with future uncertainty East Devon District Council should look at innovative ways, such as using the councils housing company funding support to allow hard working people to keep their homes that might otherwise be at risk of being lost.

"Despite a vast sum of £230billion spent to date by central government, including £63billion of loans, it is predicted that up to 40% of them might default, combined with mortgage and rent arrears climbing steeply.

"As a council we are determined to examine every way in which businesses and residents can be helped. It's vital that we focus on creating more good jobs, with decent pay, hours, security and opportunities to progress, as our economy recovers."