By Local Democracy Reporter Trevor Bevins and Francesca Evans

Questions have been raised about why the decision to take £2million from Dorset Council reserves for a cost of living support fund did not go through the budget process.

Although welcoming the extra money for those in need, several opposition councillors claim the normal process had not been followed – with no mention of the fund in the months-long run-up to finalising the budget, depriving councillors of the right to debate the scope and scale of the fund.

The idea of the fund was put forward by Conservative council leader Cllr Spencer Flower, following his visit to a community centre where he was told first-hand of some of the problems people are now facing.

Green Party councillor Belinda Bawden (Lyme Regis and Charmouth) said those outside the majority Conservative part were "stunned" by the announcement, following months of collaborative work on the budget.

Cllr Bawden suggested the fund was a political move, saying that it was "upsetting and hugely disappointing" to see the proposal being "weaponised" by the Conservatives.

"It felt shameful and distasteful, in my opinion, to bring aggressive, personal and highly unnecessary, confrontational party politics into the budget debate.

Weymouth Green councillor Brian Heatley said that, although he welcomed setting up the fund, he was concerned about the general principle of taking money from reserves, just a short time after the budget had been set – claiming that, in total, more than £50million had been removed from reserves in a relatively short time.

The view was shared by Dorchester councillor Richard Biggs, who chairs the council's Audit Committee, although he was told that financial officers considered that the remaining reserve funds were adequate for the authority.

Cllr Biggs said consideration also ought to have been given to a community project with Dorset growers, helping the local economy directly through the fund, rather than offer supermarket vouchers.

Weymouth councillor David Gray also welcomed the fund but questioned how it would be distributed across the county, telling the meeting that six out of the seven most deprived communities in Dorset were in Weymouth and Portland.

He asked for a breakdown of the geographical distribution after the fund had been spent.

Cllr Heatley said that £500,000 set aside to help with insulation costs within the £2million fund was a relatively small sum.

"Let us not kid ourselves, this is a tiny programme; if it helps a hundred houses we will have done well, but we have 200,000 homes in Dorset so it would take 2,000 years to cover if the programme were this size," he said.

Cllr Heatley added that insulation was usually the "poor relation" in energy policy, yet was capable of producing big savings over the longer term.

Purbeck councillor Beryl Ezzard said she would like to see more money in the fund and raised concerns about how it would be distributed, worrying that it would be "first come-first served" and would quickly disappear without necessarily reaching those most in need.

Portfolio holder Cllr Laura Beddow said the support from the fund would be distributed through well-established channels involving council staff and partner organisations to ensure that it reached those most in need.

The fund will support a range of projects to provide immediate and longer-term support to those residents hardest hit by the cost of living. Projects include:

• Support for low-income households, disabled people and vulnerable older people with measures to improve the energy efficiency of their homes
• Off-grid energy discretionary vouchers for households reliant on off-grid energy sources (oil and gas)
• Additional Discretionary Housing Payment allowance to help prevent residents becoming homeless
• Supermarket vouchers for residents in greatest need
• Further support for Dorset's network of social supermarkets, community fridges and food banks
• Additional pre-school hours for 3-4 year olds, enabling more parents to work
• 'Ready to thrive' locality programme to support children with their readiness to start school.

Cllr Flower said: "High prices continue to put pressure on household finances and I am acutely aware of the need to support our most vulnerable residents, including families, disabled people and older people.

"I asked officers to develop this comprehensive package of support which will be supplement the work we have already done to help people with the cost of living. The measures will be carefully targeted at those residents with the greatest need and will provide immediate support with food and energy costs. 

"The measures will also leave a lasting legacy through investment in energy efficiency of homes and support for children with early year education and starting school."