A Bradford councillor is helping hard-pressed households hit by Government spending cuts.

Eccleshill Councillor Ruth Billheimer (Lab) has provided £4,000 from her allocated ward funding to help people affected by the cuts in benefits brought in by the Government from April.

The money will pay for extra hours of local advice work in Eccleshill, and computers at the four local community centres, which will be needed to make a claim under the new rules including the Government’s Financial and Digital inclusion agenda and The Welfare Reform Bill.

Some of the funds are being used to pay for ‘Get Wise Days’, explaining how the cuts will affect local people.

People will get advice on the bedroom tax, council tax reduction scheme, Personal Independence Payments – the replacement for Disability Living Allowance – and advice on where to get help with debt and money issues.

The money is being channelled through a local group based in four community centres – The Gateway Community Centre in Ravenscliffe, Eccleshill Mechanics Institute, Rockwell Community Centre in Thorpe Edge and Fagley Community and Youth Centre in Fagley.

There will be additional outreach advice sessions, run by Ravenscliffe Advice Centre at Eccleshill Mechanics Institute.

Coun Billheimer established the group to respond to changes in welfare and wants it to help co-ordinate other aspects of community work in Eccleshill ward.

She said: “The impact on local people of the Government’s punishing welfare cuts will be far-reaching.

“The reality is that the vast majority of people affected are hard-working earners on low wages or people who have worked for years only to find themselves unemployed and struggling because of the harsh economic climate.

“People are going to need every bit of help that they can get and we are anticipating a massive surge in demand for advice and support as the cuts kick in.”