Our work

What are we doing to help?

The Council works with a wide network of organisation to provide support for our communities and businesses.

We have produced a list of information resources for households that are struggling to make ends meet, individuals that are dealing with debt, or those that finding it difficult to cope in other ways.

You can also find help on managing debt or help with rent and council tax by visiting our Cost of Living Hub

The Council has also:

Emergency funding schemes

• Made payment of the Government £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate - paid to every band A to D household in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
• Supported Staffordshire County Council with the distribution of their allocation from the Household Support Fund.

Communications and Information Sharing

• Developed resources and links on these web pages and issuing targeted social media posts.
• Improved the communication of Local Council Tax Support (CRTS) and Housing Benefit (HBO) information in communications to residents and identification of additional ways to improve take-up of available support.

Facilitating Access to Emergency Support

• Paid the discretionary Council Tax Energy Rebates (properties above band D)
• Strengthened the Council's partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to support additional demand
• Continued to support food banks and other community based schemes that are providing emergency help - building on the successful relationships that were developed throughout the response to the COVID pandemic
• Worked to tackle illegal money lending through the Community Safety Partnership
• Continued the promotion of the Staffordshire Warmer Homes Scheme (SAWS) and the additional support commissioned from Beat The Cold
• Revised and promoted the Council's Council Tax Relief and Hardship Policies
• Created a Staffordshire Moorlands Fuel Bank Scheme to support families in fuel crisis

Supporting people from crisis towards longer-term financial stability

• Refreshed the Council's Debt Recovery Policies to identify vulnerability and provide signposting for multi-agency support
• Worked with the North Staffordshire Financial Inclusion Group (FIG) to investigate alternative, perhaps multi-faceted, approaches to support Data and Intelligence
• Work is ongoing on the collation and analysis of data and intelligence to better understand the issues faced with up-to-date intelligence from partnership groups both strategic and operational; and national data sources that are extrapolated down to local level
• Established Community Vulnerability Network for Staffordshire Moorlands (through Support Staffordshire) to identify and address the issues that face the most vulnerable in the community; share information and good practice and develop opportunities for joint action and collaboration. This network will also be used to identify any requests for financial support from community groups.

Supporting Businesses

• Revised and promoted the Council's Business Rates Relief Policy
• Implemented the UK Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Funds to provide business support
• Carried out a review of Moorlands House to develop shared office space availability for businesses Identifying impact on specific groups