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Neath Port Talbot Council Deputy Leader, Cllr Alun Llewelyn, said: “Councils like ours are doing everything they can to support their communities as they face spiralling energy bills and other living costs.

“Action by the UK Government is required now to mitigate the impact of unprecedented price increases for energy, local services, local businesses, and our local communities.”

Cllr Simon Knoyle, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Performance and Social Justice, added: “We are all in this area and across the rest of the UK facing a frightening fall in living standards and we fully support the call by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) for immediate UK Government action on the cost of living crisis to give reassurance that help will be on its way.

“Neath Port Talbot Council’s £2m Hardship Relief Fund in partnership with Warm Wales will launch this Autumn to help those most in need across the county borough but we need intervention on a national scale.”

Neath Port Talbot Council is also launching a new campaign to help residents during the current cost of living crisis. It will feature a new webpage, www.npt.gov.uk/CostOfLivingHelp, bringing together all the financial related support available to residents either through the council or via partner organisations.

In a statement from the WLGA this week, the association’s Economy Spokesman, Swansea Council Leader Cllr Rob Stewart, said: “The impacts of the unfolding cost of living crisis will be felt by our local schools, community centres, care homes and communities. The UK Government needs to act immediately to ensure our children, elderly, and communities are safe and warm this winter and beyond. We could see energy costs for local services rise by £100m this year.”