Around 500 cost of living support payment vouchers are being cashed at Ceredigion Post Offices a day, councillors have been told.
Ceredigion councillor Rhodri Evans said he was concerned that not everyone who was eligible were aware of the scheme currently being rolled-out across the county thanks to Welsh Government funding.
At a meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet on Tuesday, July 26 he said that there were at least two people in his ward who had thought their letters from the council with the £150 payment were a “hoax” and he had encouraged them to collect their money.
Around £1.5million of cost of living payments have been distributed, the majority directly into eligible bank accounts, although there were nearly 9,000 residents that were set to receive payment vouchers.
Finance corporate lead officer Stephen Johnson said that Ceredigion was “in the top quartile” across Wales in “getting it out to everybody” and there was work underway to help those unable to access the payments with a few months available to complete the scheme.
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Cabinet heard there was also an extra £500,000 of discretionary funding to consider.
Corporate finance manager Duncan Hall, who will take over from Mr Johnson on his retirement, said that just under 80 per cent of Post Office vouchers have been cashed to date, “around 500 a day.”
The question arose as cabinet noted a controllable revenue budget outturn position report, which cabinet member for finance and procurement Cllr Gareth Davies said it was a “good position as far as the balance sheets are concerned.”
The final overall revenue position is an overall underspend on £668,000, a report to cabinet states, adding: “The overall surplus will result in General Balances rising to £6.7m, which equates to 4.1% of the 2022/23 Budget.”
Concerns about inflation and pay increase pressures were highlighted and as well as the amount of Welsh Government funding in future.
Leader Cllr Bryan Davies said not many things keep him awake at night “but the budget for the future does keep me awake.”
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