Funding package announced to tackle poverty in Mid Ulster

The funding, allocated via the Department for Communities (DfC), is to be distributed by Mid Ulster District Council in a new partnership with schools and the Education Authority’s welfare service which aims to ensure that the families of children entitled to free school meals and other support will now receive Council fuel stamps towards home heating costs.

Continued support will also be provided to charities which are also responding to people in food and fuel crisis.

Chair of the Council, Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, has welcomed confirmation of further support: “We’ve all heard the phrase ‘heat or eat’ used to describe the unbelievably hard choice some people face between feeding their families or heating their home.

“The stark reality is that the number of people having to make those decisions is rising as a result of the pandemic.

“Our food banks have received and will continue to receive substantial support, while this additional funding will be concentrated specifically on addressing fuel poverty.

“We estimate 4,000 families across Mid Ulster will benefit from the fuel stamps in the months ahead and that’s 4,000 families whose financial pressure will be eased a little and who will hopefully to be able to turn that phrase into ‘heat and eat’.”

As well as the £160K to address fuel poverty, a number of local charities providing specialist welfare advice will receive funding totalling £28K, including CAP (Christians Against Poverty) to support its debt management service, Mid Ulster Women’s Aid to support its work in dealing with increasing levels of domestic violence, Rural Support towards tackling rural isolation and advice to the agri-sector and Belong towards its advice for the migrant community.

Community led counselling services will continue to receive additional support in the region of £30,000.

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