NEWSROOM

Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cost of Living Strategy 2026 - 2029 is set to be considered by Cabinet on 12 November, building on four years of support for residents and putting a greater emphasis on preventing financial difficulties before they reach crisis point.

Through Telford Works with You, the Council and its partners have already provided wide-ranging help with food, energy, housing, transport and financial advice. Since 2022, this has included:

• The lowest Council tax in Midlands, saving the average Band B household £1,200.
• More than 144,000 food voucher awards worth £6.5 million to support low-income families.
• More than 5,500 households receiving energy advice and low-cost energy-efficiency measures, saving an average £190 per household.
• More than £800,000 invested in Citizens Advice services, enabling 50,000 residents and families to access support.
• More than £1.46 million in Discretionary Housing Payments, resulting in over 2,600 awards for low-income households facing homelessness.
• The Council’s £2 bus fare cap supporting more than one million passenger trips since 2022.

Partnership working has played a key role in delivering support, including work with Citizens Advice Telford and the Wrekin, Telford Crisis Support, Telford Interfaith Council and Marches Energy Advice, helping residents access financial advice, emergency food, energy advice and other practical support.

One resident shared how this has impacted their life, saying: “I just want to say a huge thank you … I’m overwhelmed with the help me and my family have received in regard to gas and electric, help towards our rent payments and now the food vouchers.

“As a family we have always tried to get through everything we can without assistance. To have asked for support initially felt so degrading and embarrassing but the team were so friendly and supportive and reassured me that everybody needs help sometimes. It was so lovely to just have someone actually listen to me and understand. I am honestly truly grateful for everything.”

The new strategy comes as financial pressures continue to affect households across the Borough. In 2024/25, more than 9,700 children under 16 were living in relative low-income families, equivalent to 24.8%, compared with 19.8% nationally. An estimated 8,510 households were in fuel poverty in 2024.

If approved, the strategy will continue support for residents in crisis while investing more in prevention and financial resilience.

Proposals include around £1.2 million for Discretionary Housing Payments over the next three years and £1 million to help households improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This comprises £250,000 of Council investment and the distribution of around £750,000 through the Government’s Warm Homes Grant.

The strategy also proposes £450,000 a year for three years towards additional Happy, Healthy, Active Holidays places, helping children and young people access enriching activities and nutritious food during the school holidays.

This investment supports the Council’s Child Friendly Telford and Wrekin ambition by helping children and young people stay healthy, active and happy, while providing practical support for families experiencing financial pressures. Child Friendly Telford and Wrekin is the Council’s commitment to making the Borough one of the best places for children and young people to live and grow up, shaped around the wishes and voices of local children and young people.

The partnership approach will continue under the new strategy too. Its development involved more than 75 representatives from frontline organisations, with organisations supporting residents with issues including finances, emergency food, housing and employment helping to inform the approach. The feedback highlighted the importance of partners working together and shifting the focus towards prevention and longer-term financial resilience; along with residents further emphasising the need for support to build more financial security.

The strategy is also bolstered by announcement of the Government’s Budget on 28 October 2026, which announced further national measures aimed at easing pressures on household finances. These include a £100 Household Energy Payment for around 20 million households in Council Tax bands A to D – representing 98% of homes in Telford and Wrekin - alongside an extension of the temporary VAT cut on domestic electricity until July 2027. The Government estimates the VAT measure will reduce the annual energy price cap by around £50 compared with what it otherwise would have been.

The Budget also extended the 5p fuel duty cut to July 2027 and announced plans to remove gas standing charges for households during 2027, with the impact varying according to gas use.

Against this changing national picture, the Council’s new Cost of Living Strategy sets out the local action proposed to complement national support and respond to the particular pressures facing Telford and Wrekin residents.

Cllr Kelly Middleton, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Unlocking Opportunities for All, said: “We know household budgets remain under pressure for many residents. Over the last four years we’ve worked closely with our voluntary, community and advice partners to make sure practical help is there, from food and energy support to housing, debt advice and affordable transport.

“The measures announced in the Budget will provide additional national support for households, particularly around energy and fuel costs. Locally, we want to build on this through Telford Works with You, making sure residents can access the right support for their circumstances.

“This new strategy is about building on what works while doing more to prevent people reaching crisis in the first place. No single organisation can tackle these pressures alone, which is why continuing to work closely with our partners and communities is so important.

“More than £9 million of proposed investment over the next three years underlines our commitment to continuing to stand alongside our residents, providing help when it is needed while supporting people to become more financially resilient for the future.”

Cabinet will be asked to approve the Cost of Living Strategy on Thursday 12 November 2026.