As the country faces the worst cost of living crisis in 50 years, the package includes funds to allow community groups to join a ‘Warm Welcome’ initiative that will provide activities and places to go this winter, plus combating hunger by extending free school meals to cover weekends.

There is also additional support for foodbanks, £49 vouchers to support people using pre-paid energy meters, and further payments for those taking care of looked after children. Swimming sessions will be free to all under-16s to help further when household bills are rising.

The new supports are in addition to a £91.649m package agreed by the council’s Executive Committee on 21 September 2022. That earlier package featured new measures that included the write-off of school meal debt and support for tenants.

Council Leader Joe Fagan said: “Even though the council has already put those supports in place, it is clear that the cost of living crisis that households are facing this winter will be worse than anything we have seen for 50 years.

“That is why we are stepping in with this additional package, which is targeted to help those households most likely to struggle, especially those with specific costs such as to meet the needs of young people and coping with rising energy bills.

“A key aspect is the ‘Warm Welcome’ that will be provided in places right across our large geographical area, in partnership with our colleagues in South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC) and the many community organisations they work with.”

Full details of the ‘Warm Welcome’ are being issued by SLLC, who have received additional council funding so they can waive rental fees until the end of March 2023 for those community groups that agree to offer activities as part of the initiative.

Councillor Fagan said: “These are the toughest times many of us will ever face, and they demand decisive action such as that being announced by the council today. But even this unprecedented package won’t be enough to fully mitigate the worst effects of the cost of living crisis.

“We also expect the crisis to put even more pressure on council services, especially social work and education, housing and homelessness services, and also our money matters service and the collection of council tax that helps fund all that we do.

“The only way our most vulnerable households will get enough support in the coming months is if both the UK and Scottish governments provide an adequate response to meet the economic challenges that lie ahead. I call on them to follow South Lanarkshire Council’s example and do that.”

The additional £4.68m was agreed by all the council’s political groups and will see:

• SLLC receive £3m to cover free lets and swimming sessions
• £1.02m to provide payments to families who receive free school meals to also cover weekend days from November 2022 to the end of March 2023
• £425,000 to provide more than 5,000 voucher payments and advice to households with pre-paid meters
• £135,000 for additional one off £100 payments to foster, kinship or care experienced people and their families
• £100,000 support for registered foodbanks

The additional package is being funded through payments earmarked for SLLC and money from investment packages previously agreed by councillors.