The cost of living crisis is at the forefront of everyone’s mind at the moment, especially as the colder months draw closer and energy bills are expected to rise to unprecedented levels.

As leader of the council I want to assure the whole community that this local authority is working to support everyone through this difficult time.

Residents have told us that they need help to get through the winter, so we want to make accessing all the support available as easy as possible.

Therefore, this week we have launched a ‘one stop shop’ on the CCBC website where lots of cost of living support measures can be found in one place: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/cost-of-living-support

Some of these schemes can be difficult to understand – so for that reason we are organising a number of cost of living roadshows across the county borough throughout September.

The events will take place in venues across the borough and anyone can attend to discuss eligibility face to face with officers and our partner organisations, including Citizens Advice.

Our staff will support you with any questions you have, determine your eligibility and support you with completing any applications necessary. The full list of venues can be found at www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Things-To-Do/Events/cost-of-living-sessions

Alongside these roadshows, the Caerphilly Cares team are always available to offer support. You can contact the team anytime by calling 01443 811490 or by emailing caerphillycares@caerphilly.gov.uk

As well as this support, we are also looking at a suite of further interventions to help in the coming months and I will communicate these as soon as I have clarity on what interventions are going to be most beneficial within the available resources.

In the meantime please visit our webpage to ensure you are receiving all of the support you are entitled to or reach out to Caerphilly Cares to speak to a member of staff today.