Cost-of-living crisis
Councils are assessing support for residents, including free school meals and financial resilience, while managing the crisis's impact on services and strategic planning.
Newham councillors backed a motion in July 2026 to assess universal free school meals for secondary pupils, citing high child poverty and cost-of-living pressures. In June 2026, Islington's Executive considered a report from its Overview and Scrutiny Committee on enhancing support for residents' financial resilience, building on previous work addressing the crisis's immediate impacts.
Barking and Dagenham saw a 0.5% decrease in council tax collection in the third quarter of 2025/26, partly due to changes in the Council Tax Support scheme and the cost-of-living crisis. Lewisham's Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviewed its Corporate Strategy in March 2026, noting the crisis as a significant external challenge and planning a more agile approach for 2026-2030. Kensington and Chelsea's Family Services Select Committee discussed in March 2026 how the crisis exacerbated factors contributing to youth violence and increased demand for Children's Services.
No specific upcoming meetings are listed for this topic. The cost-of-living crisis refers to a period of rapidly increasing prices for essential goods and services, impacting household budgets and residents' ability to afford care and support.
Key facts
- Newham councillors backed a motion in July 2026 to assess universal free school meals for secondary pupils. Source
- Islington's Executive considered a report on residents' financial resilience in June 2026. Source
- Barking and Dagenham's council tax collection decreased by 0.5% in Q3 2025/26. Source
- The council tax burden on low-income households in Barking and Dagenham rose from £6.5 million in 2024/25 to £10.3 million in 2025/26. Source
- Lewisham's Overview and Scrutiny Committee reviewed its Corporate Strategy in March 2026. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.