A more preventative and outcome-focused approach is key to tackling poverty and financial insecurity across County Durham, councillors will hear.
Durham County Council’s Cabinet will next week learn more about the authority’s strategic approach to tackling the issue, and hear about the scale, reach and impact of activities delivered over the last year to support residents facing financial hardship.
Financial insecurity remains a significant and sustained challenge for individuals, families and communities across the county, with demand for support during 2025/26 at similar or higher levels to the previous year.
The council’s overall national deprivation ranking has also increased based on the latest statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Last year, the £8.2million Household Support Fund provided essential assistance with food, fuel and household costs, and learning from this has helped to inform the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). This launched in April and places a stronger emphasis on early intervention and prevention.
By strengthening intervention, the council aims to reduce repeat demand for crisis support and improve long-term financial resilience.
This will be supported by strengthened data sharing across food, fuel, housing and advice services to enable earlier identification of need and a more coordinated response.
Cllr Dawn Bellingham, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for communities and civic resilience, said: “Households across County Durham continue to face cost-of-living pressures driven by high housing, energy and food costs, and ongoing changes to national welfare reform – where last year we saw the completion of the migration to Universal Credit. We therefore continue to face a high demand for financial support, advice, housing assistance and crisis services.
“Focusing on preventative activity and timely support for households facing financial crisis offers residents more dignity and choice. It also helps households, especially working families and those with children, to meet their immediate needs and become more financially resilient in the longer-term.
“While it’s important we are there to protect households during periods of acute pressure, it’s also important that we do all we can to prevent residents from reaching a crisis point in the first place and that is a key aim of the Crisis and Resilience Fund.”
At the meeting, Cabinet will also learn about the work that has taken place over the last year to support residents in need, including:
- The council’s welfare rights service supporting 3,476 residents to achieve more than £14m of financial gains.
- The successful launch of the new Groundwork North East advice and information service has supported more than 500 residents with income gains of over £508,000.
- Discretionary housing payments continued to play a critical role, supporting more than 1,000 households experiencing housing related financial hardship, with £959,903 of support with their rent.
- Auto-enrolment of 410 pupils for free school meals, generating more than £538,000 in additional Pupil Premium funding for schools and delivering £203,000 of support to those families.
- Start for Life activity continued to support families with babies and young children through targeted grants and practical support.
- Holiday activity and food programmes provided more than 45,000 meals across the school holiday periods, helping to mitigate holiday hunger and support the health, wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people.
- The council continued to work with partners to promote energy advice, social tariffs and energy efficiency support, helping residents to access longer-term cost reductions.
- Hundreds of households were supported to remain in their existing accommodation or secure alternative housing, helping to reduce escalation to crisis.
- The council’s DurhamWorks, DurhamEnable and Employability Durham teams supported 1,377 residents across all age groups, with 883 residents progressing into employment, education or training, or completing a qualification.
- Around 90 per cent of properties are now able to access gigabit capable broadband, strengthening long-term opportunity and inclusion, with 25 digital hubs now offering digital support across the county.
Over the last year, the council also continued to strengthen its partnership approach with voluntary, community and statutory partners, including through the transition from the council’s Area Action Partnerships to Local Networks.
This has supported more collaborative working, with welcome spaces and community-based provision helping to reduce isolation, support wellbeing and encourage residents to engage earlier with support.
Cabinet will meet at 10am on Wednesday 1 July.
