The cost of living crisis has seen poverty in East Lothian rising, with many households struggling, many of whom have never experienced this level of hardship before.

One local resident said: “I’ve been eating toddler portions to make sure my kids have enough. The kids laugh but I don’t. Nothing is easy and nothing is spared, even the bath water has to last for all of us.”

Cabinet spokesperson for community wellbeing, Councillor Colin McGinn, said: “Some of the situations we hear about are heartbreaking. There are challenges of course, but we believe that everyone in East Lothian deserves to live a life free from poverty. We will strive to make sure that people have the opportunities and support needed for long term financial stability and be able to afford a decent standard of living.

“I would encourage everyone to have their say in helping us tackle poverty over the next three years. We need to hear your views and you can help us make sure the right support is available in the right places.”

From now until mid-May, members of the public are invited to comment on our new priorities and share their experiences of the cost of living crisis. You can read and comment on our draft plan on the Community Choices website.

The new plan has 4 priorities:

• Income from employment
• Income from benefits
• Cost of living support
• Tackling climate change

These priorities are underpinned by our ways of working across the East Lothian Partnership:

• Addressing stigma, being trauma-informed
• Working in partnership
• Making poverty everybody’s business

The draft plan has been drawn up by a multi-agency group including representatives from key council services, NHS Lothian and community and voluntary groups.

The council is particularly keen to hear from communities and individuals who have been affected by increasing levels of poverty as a result of the cost of living crisis. The consultation will run until Wednesday 15 May.