Scrutiny Inquiry Panel - Cost of Living

Swansea Council's Scrutiny Inquiry Panel on the Cost of Living met on 22 June 2026 and took evidence from the Revenues and Benefits service. The minute records no decision. The Panel will consider the evidence with all its other evidence before agreeing its conclusions and recommendations. The next meeting, on 29 June 2026, will hear from the Place Directorate.

1. Cost of living impact on the Revenues and Benefits service

   Decided

   The minutes record no decision on this item.

   Why

   The report answers questions the Panel sent in advance. Housing Benefit cases fell from 10,000 in April 2024 to 5,600 by March 2026, but Council Tax arrears have risen with the cost-of-living crisis. Some 21,586 households receive Council Tax Reduction, with the highest share in Penderry at 43.45% of properties.

   Based on the minutes, CM Report - Cost of Living impacts on the Benefits Service, Appendix A - CTR cases by ward

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 2

   Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests

   Minute

   None

2. 3

   Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips

   Minute

   None

3. 4

   Minutes of Previous Meeting(s)

   Minute

   The minutes from the 1 June 2026 where agreed as a correct record.

   Papers: Draft Minutes - Cost of Living Inquiry Panel Meeting 1 June 2026
4. 5

   Public Questions

   Minute

   No public questions were received.

5. 6

   Cost of Living Scrutiny Inquiry - Revenues and Benefits

   Minute

   Cabinet Members Cllr Rob Stewart and Officers Simon Arthurs (Interim Director of Finance) and Heather Young (Head of Revenues and Benefits) attended the meeting and provided a comprehensive report addressing a set of key questions sent to them in advance. The report and the discussion that arose will form part of the Inquiry Findings Report and this will be brought back to the Panel at the end of the evidence gathering phase of the inquiry. It will then be considered alongside all the other evidence gathered when discussing and agreeing the Inquiry conclusions and recommendations.

   Papers: CM Report - Cost of Living impacts on the Benefits Service, Appendix A - CTR cases by ward
6. 7

   Inquiry Project Plan

   Minute

   The next meeting will be with the Place Directorate (Housing and Regeneration) on 29 June 2026.

   Part of an issue followed across 10 meetings

   Papers: 02 - Cost of Living Inquiry Project Plan as at 6 Mar

Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.

Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.

• Lyndon Jones MBE, ChairConservativePresent
• Adam Davis, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Allan Jeffery, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Jeff Jones, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Joe Hale, Committee MemberIndependentSent apologies
• Lynda James, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Mair Baker, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Michael Locke, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratPresent
• Nicola Furlong, Committee MemberLiberal DemocratSent apologies
• Oliver James, Committee MemberLabourAbsent
• Rob Stewart, Community RepresentativeLabourPresent
• Susan Jones, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Tony Fitzgerald, Committee MemberIndependents@SwanseaAbsent

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