FEARS have been raised that poverty in Ceredigion will increase beyond control this winter as increasing energy and food costs hit residents in the county.

Members of the corporate overview and scrutiny committee met on Monday, 3 October to discuss the latest report on the five year tackling hardship strategy, which is monitored by the Ceredigion Public Services Board (PSB) to provide a “coordinating response to the increased risk of hardship.”

This was initially focusing on the impact of Covid-19 but there is now a “change in focus” because of the rising cost of living and “we know of course, there’s further hardship ahead of us,” Cllr Catrin MS Davies, cabinet member for through age and wellbeing said.

The report said that “poverty remains of high concern in Ceredigion and continued work is needed to alleviate the impact this has on people.”

“Since the reporting period of this report, we have seen a worsening cost of living crisis which we will closely monitor in the coming months.”

Cllr Rhodri Evans asked what was being done with increasing food banks and rising energy costs, adding “there are many out here that are finding it difficult at present” with problems only going to get worse.

The high levels of child poverty in Ceredigion – with 3,500 children living in poverty – and falling childcare spaces are “a real concern.”

Although the recent Welsh Government schemes for free school meals and free childcare for all two-year-olds were positive steps, the committee felt.

The latest well-being report shows that as of 2021, there were 3,459 children living in poverty in Ceredigion, adding that it is a “key regional issue” affecting neighbouring counties also.

Child poverty in Ceredigion is higher than average and has seen the second highest increase nationally since 2014/15.

The data available suggests that in-work poverty is increasing and remains a key challenge for households, particularly in Aberystwyth North, Cardigan & Aberporth and Aberystwyth South.

The report also outlines that “people are generally struggling with mounting debt and the percentage of people in Wales who are concerned about being able to pay bills one month from now reached a high of 35 per cent in March 2022.”

Concerns were also raised over a lack of childcare places.

The committee heard that “work will continue to record data to aid understanding of the evolving impact of hardship and the list of partners that contribute to the action plan will be reviewed, with changes made to reflect the focus on the rising costs of living.”

The Tackling Hardship Strategy 2020-22 was published in August 2020 as a successor to Ceredigion Combatting Poverty Strategy 2016-20.

It was agreed that the strategy will be extended to 2023 to bring it into line with Ceredigion PSB Local Well-being Plan which comes to an end in 2023.