Labour Councillor Nairn McDonald is demanding urgent action from North Ayrshire Council over the escalating cost-of-living crisis.

The Irvine East member has called on the authority to launch its £1.7million Energy Support Fund to support local families.

The £1.7million support package was approved as part of North Ayrshire Labour’s 2022/23 budget, but five months later he says no resident has received support.

However, the SNP administration responded,  saying that tackling poverty and cost of living issues are their top priority.

 Councillor McDonald said: “Five months after it was approved, not a single North Ayrshire resident has received support from the £1.7million Energy Support Fund that North Ayrshire Labour included in this year’s council budget.

“The cost-of-living crisis is impacting everyone and we are hearing harrowing stories all the time of constituents and their kids going without food or energy because they can’t afford to pay for them.

“Bills are rising across the board but the rise in energy bills is undoubtedly fuelling the cost-of-living crisis. 

“North Ayrshire Labour recognised that by setting aside £1.7million to help reduce residents’ energy bills and I think five months is more than enough time for the council to get their act together and start supporting residents with the funding.”

The Irvine East Councillor says there is no time to waste and added: “The cost-of-living crisis is happening now and as a councillor I want to see the council playing its part in supporting my constituents to get through it.”

Council Leader Marie Burns hit back and said: “The new SNP administration has made tackling poverty and the cost of living crisis our number one priority.

“Our first cabinet meeting set out a number of measures to address the cost of living crisis and to support families, including the setting up of a Child Poverty Board chaired by myself as leader of the council.

“Since the £1.7 million energy fund was agreed, council officers have been developing what was basically a budget heading from Labour into a programme of support that will offer help to those who need it most

“The details of that will come to this month’s cabinet meeting. Councillor McDonald will be aware of that if he read the note of the last cabinet meeting.”

This week the Bank of England announced that  inflation is expected to reach 13 per cent by the end of 2022 whilst experts at the energy consultancy Auxilione gave the terrifying prediction that the energy price cap could reach £4,400 in January.