The Mayor of Tower Hamlets has announced a package of ‘tackling poverty innovation grants’ worth £200,000 for new programmes by community and voluntary groups in the borough.

The mayor revealed the new funding yesterday during a visit to the headquarters of the First Love Foundation, a charity in Poplar which provides emergency advice and food support for cash-strapped resident such as those on Universal Credit.

During his tour of First Love’s warehouse, the mayor heard how many residents in the borough are forced to rely on food banks, including those who are struggling to make ends meet despite being in full or part time employment.

Mayor Biggs said: “As mayor I believe in helping our most vulnerable residents in Tower Hamlets and that’s why I introduced a Tackling Poverty Fund to help those that are struggling to get by.

“It will help people who face a squeeze on their income and are being impacted by the benefit changes including the introduction of Universal Credit, offering them advice and support”.

The mayor has also set aside £1million from his Tackling Poverty Fund to provide a safety net for Universal Credit claimants in the borough after it was revealed they had racked up £500,000 worth of rent arrears in the first month of being switched to the controversial benefit payments.

The council is also investing in a new ‘tackling poverty dashboard’ created by research organisation Policy in Practice and has commissioned research by the Child Poverty Action Group to examine the impact of UC on households with children.