Scarborough has highest demand for council’s local assistance fund
The highest level of demand for the council’s cost of living support fund continues to come from Scarborough.
North Yorkshire Council’s local assistance fund, which helps people struggling with living costs and provides emergency financial support, has continued to see the highest level of demand from Scarborough.
“In keeping with previous years, the highest levels of demand are seen in Scarborough with 972 applications, making up for 36 per cent of applications,” according to Coun Heather Phillips, NYC’s executive member for corporate services.
The figures for quarter two of 2025/26 reveal that the second-highest level of demand was in Harrogate, while Richmond had the lowest level of demand at just 4 per cent.
Last November, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that 38 per cent of requests for support came from the county’s biggest coastal town.
A report prepared for a full meeting of North Yorkshire Council states that the local assistance fund received an average of 194 applications a week this quarter, and there were 207 first time applicants to the fund this quarter.
“Vulnerability category data is also monitored monthly, and it shows no significant change in who we are supporting through the scheme and in which geographical areas, with those experiencing mental health challenges (470 applications, 17 per cent) and those homeless (416 applications, 15 per cent) coming through the fund more than anyone else,” it notes.
Coun Phillips added: “As well as the reported figures above, further food parcels were delivered across the Scarborough town area through our ongoing partnership with the Rainbow Centre – in quarter two, 216 were delivered.”
Members of the public are invited to attend the full meeting of NYC at County Hall in Northallerton at 10.30am on Wednesday, November 12.