Our local Councillors want you to be aware of the help and support that Wirral has received so far, to help us tackle the Coronavirus pandemic.
Supply of PPE
During April, more than 2.3 million items of PPE were delivered by the Government to the Council’s centre at Bidston. This has been provided at no cost to the council or care homes and is in addition to PPE supplied by the NHS to our hospitals and GPs.
Testing
30.04.20. Saw the opening of Wirral’s satellite testing station at the Bidston Hub. The facility has been set up by the Council and the NHS and is being run initially by the Army.
The demand from the outset was high so additional traffic control measures had to be introduced near the site. Within a two hours window of going live, 750 appointments (250 per day) had been filled via the MOD booking process. Eligible key workers and front line staff are now using the facility.
Money:
So far, Wirral Council has received from the Government:
- 19 March: Covid-19 grant £11,861,798
- 17 March : Small Business Grant of £63,562,000
- 24 March : Council Tax Hardship fund of £3,910,992
- 28 April : Further Covid-19 Grant of £8,886,494
This comes to £88,221,284 paid by the government to WBC.
Social Care Grant for children and adults is paid up front this month to ensure urgent care needs are met quickly.
Other payments that will benefit our residents include:
- A share of £167 million Covid-19 bus service support grant.
- An extra £1,418,990 for Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service.
- £83,884,000 of debt owed by Wirral Hospitals written off. This means they will spend less on debt repayment and more on front line patient care.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT TO WIRRAL RESIDENTS
- Job Retention Scheme paying up to £2,500 per month to furloughed workers in Wirral
- Self-Employed Support Scheme paying up to £2,500 per month and backdated to March
- Universal Credit increased by up to £20 a week
- Basic Element of working tax credit increased by up to £20 a week
- Wirral residents will have also benefitted from the £1 billion which has been made available for renters nationally
- More than 500,000 food parcels have been delivered by the Government to those who are being shielded or at most risk from infection.
Recycling centres
The recycling centres are set to be reopened in the week commencing 4 May. Council would wish to discourage people from visiting the tips when opened immediately as there are likely to be queues for up to four hours. Anyone intending to visit the tip would be advised to consult the Wirral View website or Facebook page for instructions to plan your visit.
There will be specific measures put in place at each of the three sites (West Kirkby, Clatterbridge and Bidston).
We hope this information has been useful and if anyone has any further queries, or needs our help and advice, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Cllr. Andrew Hodson 0151 342 6253 Cllr. Les Rowlands 0151 342 2454 Cllr. Kathy Hodson 0151 342 6253
Or via our Facebook page: News for Heswall
