Derry & Strabane Council to host meetings on new Anti-Poverty Action Plan

The Council’s Director of Legacy, Oonagh McGillion, outlined the plans at a meeting of the Council’s Governance and Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday, January 9.

The plans include support for people to move out of poverty through “housing, employability, rural development, financial well-being and health”.

In 2021, the Council backed the four asks from the Crushed by the Cost of Living Event at Stormont: a six-month pause on social security debt, reinstatement of the £20 Universal Credit uplift, a one-off £500 payment to recipients of Disability Benefits or Carer’s Allowance, and the removal of the two-child limit for Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit.

“There’s a real desire for a move away from reacting to poverty to preventing poverty”, Mrs McGillion said. “So since November, an anti-poverty task and finishing group has been considering the approach to poverty.

“As a local authority we have limited ability, and this is a central policy directive, but there’s already a roadmap of small interventions which would have an impact.

“A lot of interventions are already taking place, and the idea of the plan is to build on those foundations.”

The Council’s Anti-Poverty Task and Finish Group’s approach includes an initiation meeting and a series of workshops to develop an Action Plan.

The purpose of the initiation meeting is to share the proposed approach with stakeholders, receive their feedback and make any adjustments based on broad agreement. A schedule of communications will be undertaken to raise awareness and extend an open invitation to anyone who wishes to participate in the development of the action plan.

An Initiation Meeting will be held in February setting out the ambition for the anti-poverty action plan; the proposed approach through a series of workshops and an indicative timeline including consultation. The broad outline of the workshop content may evolve based on the discussions from the Initiation Meeting, elected representatives were told.

The first Workshop in March will set the context for the anti-poverty action plan, and look at raising awareness and increased understanding of the published data. It will examine what is happening locally and regionally and agree further follow up required on local priorities.

A second workshop in April will aim to develop action based on priorities, including costs and timelines and work towards agreeing on a consultation approach, implementation and monitoring.

Foyleside People Before Profit District Councillor Shaun Harkin said the Council has been “frustrated” as it has limited power to tackle poverty.

“We can only do so much,” he said. “And a Government with proper resources could put a dent in poverty.”

“But that’s not happening right now, and we are trying to figure out utilising resources in the best possible way.”

“It’s about what the council can do right now, with as much input as possible, to be beneficial for people.”

Waterside SDLP District Councillor Sean Mooney praised the Councillors and Officers for the plan, but said the reinstatement of Stormont was needed to fully ameliorate the poverty issue.

He concluded: “We have limited resources to deal with this issue but, as always, this council is putting their shoulder to the wheel to try and help out.”

Andrew Balfour,

Local Democracy Reporter.