Agenda item

8.1

It was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, and seconded by Councillor Barbara Masters, that this Council:-

(a)      notes with concern that:-

(i)       the child poverty rate in Sheffield is around 37%, the highest in South Yorkshire and 10% above the national average, with an estimated 7,096 children living in poverty;

(ii)       families on Universal Credit earning above £7.4k are not eligible for Free School Meals in England, meaning that 30% of all school-aged children living in poverty in Yorkshire miss out on a free hot meal every day; and

(iii)      4,200 families in Sheffield do not receive support for one or more children due to the two-child benefit cap, with the average family losing out on £3,235 per year on average, with a corresponding serious impact on children’s material wellbeing, nutrition, and mental health;

(b)      notes the positive work that the Council has undertaken on the Cost of Living crisis, including the recent allocation of £600,000 in additional funding to Local Area Committee (LAC) projects and citizens advice services to maximise benefits, however, believes that there is only so much that Local Authorities can do in the absence of Government support;

(c)      believes that several simple, relatively low-cost interventions are available to Government which would alleviate child poverty substantially, such as removing the two-child benefit cap (cost of £1.4bn), and universalising free school meals in primary schools (cost of £1bn);

(d)      notes that, disappointingly, the leadership of the two largest Westminster parties have refused to adopt these two policies; and

(e)      therefore, requests the Chief Executive to write to the Government stressing the importance of alleviating child poverty and requesting it commits to:-

(i)       abolishing the two-child cap on benefits;

(ii)       expanding free school meals to every child in primary school, and every secondary school child whose family receives Universal Credit; and

(iii)      raising funding for Free School Meals in line with inflation, backdated to match the real terms level of funding provided in 2014-15.

8.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Dawn Dale, and formally seconded by Councillor Nighat Basharat, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (c) to (e) and the addition of new paragraphs (c) to (g) as follows:-

(c)      notes this Government have presided over the biggest fall in living standards ever recorded, but notes poverty has been rising dramatically since 2010;

(d)      believes that a newly elected government will face a difficult task of fixing the social and economic damage caused by 13 years of government mismanagement and austerity, and whilst this will certainly result in a new government needing to take tough choices, the Labour Party is absolutely committed to an anti-poverty strategy; driven by a focus on growing the economy, and making sure that growth is inclusive and in every part of the country;

(e)      notes that during the period of the last Labour government (1997-2010) the number of children in relative poverty fell by over 800,000, and for absolute poverty there was a fall of over two million;

(f)       notes local efforts to tackle child poverty in stark contrast with the actions of successive governments since 2010, and which include:-

(i)       supporting thousands of children and young people with free school meal support and holiday activities;

(ii)       new Community Youth Services, increasing youth sessions work across all local areas;

(iii)      establishing a network of 171 community hubs and welcoming places (warm banks) delivered alongside the voluntary sector; and

(iv)      the approval of the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee for the Household Support Fund (£10.4m) including targeted awards to households in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Support but who missed out on the Government’s Cost of Living payments; and

(g)      requests that the Cost-of-Living Steering Group, in consultation with senior officers, look at how the Council can get money in people’s pockets quickly.

8.3

It was then formally moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, and formally seconded by Councillor Marieanne Elliot, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the addition of a new paragraph (e) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (e) as a new paragraph (f):-

(e)      notes that the effect of bad policies on child poverty, like the bedroom tax, were brought in through the Welfare Reform Act 2012; and

8.4

The amendment moved by Councillor Dawn Dale was put to the vote and was lost.

8.4.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 31 Members; AGAINST - 38 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.)

8.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was then put to the vote and was carried.

8.5.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 41 Members; AGAINST - 28 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.)

8.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

(a)      notes with concern that:-

(i)       the child poverty rate in Sheffield is around 37%, the highest in South Yorkshire and 10% above the national average, with an estimated 7,096 children living in poverty;

(ii)       families on Universal Credit earning above £7.4k are not eligible for Free School Meals in England, meaning that 30% of all school-aged children living in poverty in Yorkshire miss out on a free hot meal every day; and

(iii)      4,200 families in Sheffield do not receive support for one or more children due to the two-child benefit cap, with the average family losing out on £3,235 per year on average, with a corresponding serious impact on children’s material wellbeing, nutrition, and mental health;

(b)      notes the positive work that the Council has undertaken on the Cost of Living crisis, including the recent allocation of £600,000 in additional funding to Local Area Committee (LAC) projects and citizens advice services to maximise benefits, however, believes that there is only so much that Local Authorities can do in the absence of Government support;

(c)      believes that several simple, relatively low-cost interventions are available to Government which would alleviate child poverty substantially, such as removing the two-child benefit cap (cost of £1.4bn), and universalising free school meals in primary schools (cost of £1bn);

(d)      notes that, disappointingly, the leadership of the two largest Westminster parties have refused to adopt these two policies;

(e)      notes that the effect of bad policies on child poverty, like the bedroom tax, were brought in through the Welfare Reform Act 2012; and

(f)       therefore, requests the Chief Executive to write to the Government stressing the importance of alleviating child poverty and requesting it commits to:-

(i)       abolishing the two-child cap on benefits;

(ii)       expanding free school meals to every child in primary school, and every secondary school child whose family receives Universal Credit; and

(iii)      raising funding for Free School Meals in line with inflation, backdated to match the real terms level of funding provided in 2014-15.

8.6.1

(NOTE: The result of the vote was FOR - 69 Members; AGAINST - 0 Members; ABSTENTIONS – 1 Member.  Although Labour Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraph (d) and abstained from voting on paragraphs (c) and (f) of the Substantive Motion.  Although Liberal Democrat Group Members voted for, they voted against paragraph (e) of the Substantive Motion.)