Disclosure Log

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Question

Re: The impacts of poverty / cost of living crisis on residents living in and businesses in Merthyr Tydfil. 1) The number of children by age or key stage group within the borough in receipt of Free School meals? 2) The number of eligible children by age or key stage group in receipt of the WG funded / supported free school meal? 3) The number of children by age or key stage group actually taking up / accessing the WG funded / supported free school meal? 4) The names of schools offering a breakfast club provision, the cost of running a breakfast club in each provision and any grant funding that support breakfast club provisions. 5) The number of children this and the last two previous academic school years accessing the WG School Essential Grant. 6) The number of people over the last three financial year’s who have successful received Council Tax Reduction 7) The amount of Discretionary Housing Payments made to residents over the last three financial years. 8) The Council’s budget allocated to Disabled Facilities Grants over the last three years and the numbers of grants awarded over the same period. 9) The number of businesses who have received Non Domestic Rate relief over the last three years and the amount awarded each year. 10) Any other information that can be disclosed on grants that have supported businesses in the last three financial years. 11) The current number of occupied and empty business premises in Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre including St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre.

Answer

Re: The impacts of poverty / cost of living crisis on residents living in and businesses in Merthyr Tydfil. 1) The number of children by age or key stage group within the borough in receipt of Free School meals? Please see attached table 2) The number of eligible children by age or key stage group in receipt of the WG funded / supported free school meal? Total number of pupils eligible to Universal Free School Meals (only available to Primary School age pupils) = 3902 As per year group: Nursery 574 Reception 471 Year 1 461 Year 2 476 Year 3 459 Year 4 496 Year 5 502 Year 6 463 3) The number of children by age or key stage group actually taking up / accessing the WG funded / supported free school meal? Uptake % as at W/E 24/01/25 Nursery 66% Reception 73% Year 1 70% Year 2 61% Year 3 62% Year 4 64% Year 5 64% Year 6 60% Total % uptake = 64% 4) The names of schools offering a breakfast club provision, the cost of running a breakfast club in each provision and any grant funding that support breakfast club provisions. Cost Centre(T) Text Amount Breakfast Initiative - Goetre Junior Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -71,649.72 Breakfast Initiative - Pantysgallog Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -32,200.31 Breakfast Initiative - Gellifaelog Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -41,511.91 Breakfast Initiative - Ynysowen Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -24,922.12 Breakfast Initiative - Trelewis Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -28,271.98 Breakfast Initiative - Ysgol Coed Y Dderwen Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -29,276.93 Breakfast Initiative - Cyfarthfa Junior Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -60,843.25 Breakfast Initiative - Bedling Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -7,972.38 Breakfast Initiative - St Marys Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -10,716.34 Breakfast Initiative - Ysgol Y Graig Primary Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -31,744.44 Breakfast Initiative - St Illtyds Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -14,721.27 Breakfast Initiative - Twynrodyn Community Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -35,889.10 Breakfast Initiative - St Aloysius Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -19,165.99 Heolgerrig Breakfast Club Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -17,694.70 Breakfast Initiative - Ysgol Rhyd Y Grug Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -24,459.86 Troedyrhiw Primary - Breakfast Initiative Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -19,340.27 Caedraw Primary - Breakfast Initiative Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -21,463.20 Gwanfarren Primary - Breakfast Initiative Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -20,120.38 Greenfields Breakfast Club Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -17,174.35 Breakfast Initiative - ysgol Santes Tudful Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -70,156.99 Dowlais Primary (Infants) Breakfast Club Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -25,053.93 Abercanaid Breakfast Club Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -31,095.92 Edwardsville Breakfast Club Breakfast Club SLA 2024-25 -31,176.61 -686,621.95 5) The number of children this and the last two previous academic school years accessing the WG School Essential Grant. 2022/23 – 2481 grants issued 2023/24 - 2291 grants issued 2024/25 – 2127 grants issued to date (closing date is 31/05/2025) 6) The number of people over the last three financial year’s who have successful received Council Tax Reduction These figures vary on a daily basis and so a point in time may need to be give. As at 01/04/2025 there were 5795 residents in receipt of Council Tax Reduction. 7) The amount of Discretionary Housing Payments made to residents over the last three financial years. DHP funds: 2025-26 £144,200 (new year allocation) 2024-2025 £144,200 (fully spent) 2023-2024 £144,200 (fully spent) 2022-2023 £149,200 (fully spent) 8) The Council’s budget allocated to Disabled Facilities Grants over the last three years and the numbers of grants awarded over the same period. 2022/2023 - £850,000 / NA due to being outsourced to care and repair agency. 2023/2024 - £850,000 /76 DFGS completed 2024/2025- £850,000/84 DFGS completed 9) The number of businesses who have received Non Domestic Rate relief over the last three years and the amount awarded each year. Key SBRW – Small Business Rates Relief Mandatory – Charitable Relief RLHR – Retail Leisure & Hospitality Relief Year SBRW £ SBRW No Mandatory £ Mandatory No RLHR £ RLHR 2022-2023 2,017,482 1,085 1,034,964 100 931,850 253 2023-2024 3,465,926 1,519 980,379 105 1,212,956 233 2024-2025 2,778,034 1,480 901,202 106 728,702 229 10) Any other information that can be disclosed on grants that have supported businesses in the last three financial years. SPF 2023/24 Grant schemes – Business Support, Start Up, Sites and Premises and Decarbonisation grants Total awarded - £247,411.39 Number of businesses supported - 71 SPF 2024/25 Purpose of the scheme – Business Support, Start Up, Youth Enterprise, Decarbonisation and Property Development grants. Total awarded - £3,625,076.36 Number of businesses supported - 140 Placemaking 2022 - 2025 Purpose of the scheme – To bring long term vacant Town Centre properties back into beneficial use Total awarded - £806,593.04 Number of properties supported – 4 11) The current number of occupied and empty business premises in Merthyr Tydfil Town Centre including St Tydfil’s Shopping Centre. No of Business Properties – 505 Occupied – 392 Empty – 113