Santa Pola coffers run low with increase in emergency family grants

SANTA POLA has delivered more aid to residents this year than over the same time last year, virtually exhausting the budget already.

Councillor for Social Action, Lorenzo Cervera, said last year a total of 254 individual grants of aid were given out, but today the figure stands at 443. But the councillor pledged the department would do everything in its power to continue throughout the year and ensure no one was left without aid, despite the budget practically being used. “We will do everything we can because we are aware that many people are in distress or at risk of exclusion,” he said.

Social workers will continue to conduct a detailed study of each situation and propose a series of actions, “including what is the most suitable aid, which was approved in a Commission evaluation, and it will be processed as urgently as possible.”

The maximum period for receiving aid is five months which can be extended to seven whenever there are children under the age of three years in the family. So far in 2015, individual grants have totalled €203,201.

The town hall also reported a lack of budget allocation for free summer meals while schools are closed but Cervera said: “We will make the appropriate budget modifications.” 

Funds have also been received from the Valencian Government of around €50,000 to help cover the cost of school canteens for the month of August for underprivileged children, although this amount was less than last year.

Spending by Hidraqua Social Fund, with which direct aid is paid to any family at risk of being cut off from their water supply, has also increased and exceeded the €9,000 intended for aid contributions.