West Devon care leavers get financial boost

Could it be the last round?

Each care leaver in West Devon is to get financial help of £1,000 this year from a £196,000 pot of government funding being distributed to help those most in need in the borough.

West Devon Borough Councillors said the “limited” Household Support Fund allocation for 2025/26 would be “spread wisely”.

This is the seventh tranche of the fund to help vulnerable households with the cost of essentials and was brought in under the previous Conservative government to respond to the cost of living crisis.

Devon County Council received almost £9 million to use itself and dish out to district and borough councils. Plymouth as a unitary authority received over £4 million.

It may be the last year this money will be available, West Devon councillors were warned at their hub committee on Tuesday.

The borough’s 13 care leavers will get two payments of £500 in July and December and residents with caring responsibilities and families with three or more children who are receiving council tax reduction will get two payments of £150.

Homemaker Southwest, which deals with referrals from the council’s housing team will receive £5,000 to allocate a caseworker for one day a week, with equivalent funding coming from South Hams District Council.

The case worker will deal with welfare benefit and debt issues and work closely with residents, particularly focusing on budgeting, maximising income, welfare benefit uptake, access to affordable and responsible credit and providing support with completing grant applications.

Tamar Energy Community, which offers free advice to residents struggling to keep warm at home, have unaffordable energy bills and/or energy debt or damp and mould, is to receive £15,000 and £10,000 will to the armed forces charity SSAFA to assist veterans facing hardship.

The remaining £57,000 after admin costs are excluded, will be available through an application process where residents can make very specific requests if they are really struggling with food costs or household costs such as a white goods item breaking down.

Cllr Jane Elliott, WDBC’s lead member for community wellbeing said: “Care leavers often face life’s challenges without the family networks many of us rely on. That’s why we are going further than the minimum required – to act as any good parent would, offering practical support to help them thrive.” 

She added that by supporting community organisations too, the council could reach people more effectively and offer practical, personalised care.

Cllr Chris Edmunds (Con, Tamarside) said carers did an incredible job and he thought they should be getting more help but was told “hard choices” had to be made with limited funds.

Cllr Chris West (Lib Dem, Burrator) said as a former headteacher of a Plymouth school where there was huge deprivation he saw how allocations of funding were weighted to urban areas.

“I am really concerned that West Devon is seen as an affluent area but we know there are areas of deprivation. We talk about rural deprivation – it is there – then we have an economy that relies on tourism, low paid jobs and the impact of government policy on farming and how that is changing.

“We want to help our community to not only survive but to thrive.”