Camden Leader: Budget is a boost to our residents most in need
Camden’s Leader welcomes the Government’s Budget announcements which will support Camden-wide efforts to help residents most affected by the cost-of-living crisis and to tackle child poverty.
One of the starkest inequalities we are grappling with in Camden is child poverty. The Government’s decision to lift the two child benefit cap will be transformative – we think it will help support over 4,000 children in Camden, with each family eligible for the extra benefit expected to receive several thousand pounds more per year in Universal Credit. Our Raise Camden Taskforce is currently looking at ways in which we can take further steps to reduce child poverty in Camden.
Today’s Budget also provides further welcome support to our residents most deeply impacted by the cost of living crisis. The Government has committed to raising the minimum wage and reducing people’s energy bills. In Camden we are backing this up – through a whole package of cost-of-living support, which is supporting our poorest residents to get the food they need and to keep their heating on this winter, and our Council Tax Support scheme, which means over 16,000 of our most in need residents do not pay any Council Tax at all.
We know how powerful training opportunities and access to good-quality jobs can be in shaping young people’s futures. The new Youth Guarantee for employment and additional funding to help under-25s access apprenticeships with small and medium-sized businesses are a further boost to the work we are delivering through our Youth Mission and Good Work Camden to remove the barriers our young people face in achieving their ambitions.
The Council is assessing the full detail of the Budget and is committed to getting the best deal for Camden residents and businesses as proposals develop.
We will take the time to understand the full details of announcements made in today’s Budget. We need further clarity on how the high-value council tax charge will work in practice and where the money raised from it will go, and how we may benefit from the overnight stay levy given how many people choose to stay in Camden when visiting London.
We will be the voice of Camden residents and business in the consultations which will develop these policies, guided by a clear focus on breaking down inequality and maximising the opportunity for Camden residents and businesses.