Carmarthenshire County Council hosted a collaboration event with stakeholders and partners in the face of the growing cost of living.

The event sought to identify areas for possible cross-sector collaboration in the effort to prevent poverty, improve lives, help people into work and to better understand the challenges facing the residents of Carmarthenshire.

Discussions were held on the support that is available for people who are either in work but are on low income, looking for work, are unemployed or losing their jobs.

Another key focus of the event was how to best support mothers or couples that are expecting a child, along with families, students and young people during the drastic increase in the cost of living.

As well as helping young people, helping older people and pensioners was discussed, and how to support carers, people with disabilities or ill health, armed forces veterans and the bereaved.

MORE NEWS

Deputy Leader and Cabinet lead, Cllr. Linda Evans, said: “This is a very serious situation, and we are all worried about rising food, energy and fuel bills.

“It is vitally important that we get around a table with our stakeholders and partners to ensure that no stone is left unturned, in our efforts to support the people of Carmarthenshire during this cost-of-living crisis.

“So far, we as a council have distributed the Welsh government’s Cost of Living Support Scheme to households and are currently issuing further support through the Welsh government’s Discretionary Fund and Winter Support Scheme.

Council Leader, Cllr Darren Price said: “The poverty figures are startling. 35.6 per cent of households in Carmarthenshire are living in poverty.

“In Wales, 17 per cent of children in poverty live in households where all adults are in work, an increase of five per cent over the last ten years, and almost one in five pensioners in Wales are living in poverty.

“These are the people that are most vulnerable to the rising costs of living, and it is a worsening issue that one organisation alone cannot solve.

“The purpose of gathering our partners and stakeholders, here in one place, is to work together and coordinate our efforts to support those most in need in our county.”