STARK figures have shown how hard the pandemic has hit Stockton amid warnings of tough economic times ahead.

More than 8,000 of the borough’s residents are now claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit – up 66 per cent since March.

 And more than 20,000 people in the borough have been furloughed through the Government’s Job Retention Scheme.

The human health cost has also been great with leaders gearing up for a challenging 12 months ahead.

The latest cabinet report showed almost half of the Borough’s 52 care homes have reported suspected or confirmed cases of covid-19.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics also revealed there were 54 covid-19 related deaths in Stockton care homes reported to the Care Quality Commission between April 10 and June 26.

Council leader Cllr Bob Cook said he’d never seen a situation like it in his 68 years on Earth. 

Cllr Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for regeneration and housing said covid-19 had been a “game-changer” which had brought “some opportunities and many threats”. 

He added: “In previous economic updates, even throughout austerity, we’ve been celebrating the strength of resilience of the manufacturing sector which we all know about on Teesside and in the borough. 

“We’re now seeing many threats to the manufacturing sector as a consequence of covid, and there are real concerns about the future loss of skilled jobs.

“That’s something we need to focus on and are focussing on.”

The cabinet member said covid had really knocked the confidence of small, micro and medium sized businesses in Stockton which was a “cause for concern”.

Cllr Cooke was pleased 40% of firms had taken to “new and smarter ways of working” and the help they’d been given.

But he added it was sad that many businesses were now putting a freeze on recruitment with a “real increase in the prospect of redundancies” both nationally and in the region. 

Meanwhile, Cllr Cook said the council and the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) needed to help young people and apprentices through the crisis.

The leader added: “One of the things this crisis might do, because there will be lots of redundancies is those residents who are pushed back from getting a job may be pushed further back as more people get made redundant.

“We need to ensure those people who are further from work don’t drop too far behind.”

The report added the number and rate of cases and the death rate in Stockton had been “relatively low” but the impact on the economy and on people’s way of life has been significant.

A total of 9,350 “extremely vulnerable people” were pinpointed as requiring shielding during lockdown – almost 5% of the borough’s whole population.

Council teams have helped teams send out 6,400 food parcels, prescriptions and shopping requests – and have dealt with more than 8,600 calls since the crisis began. 

More than 700 laptops have also been sent out to some of the borough’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable youngsters to help them learn online. 

However, the cabinet report revealed officials are also gearing up for the possibility of more workers losing their jobs by the end of this year once Government support packages come to an end.

After the meeting, Cllr Cook warned tough times were ahead to help the borough get back on its feet. 

The Labour leader added: “The people who were most vulnerable before will be even more vulnerable now.

 “It’s an incredibly uncertain time for businesses, and that will intensify as Government support packages come to an end.

“We’re working on our borough-wide recovery plans now and we will ensure we target help and support at those who need it most.

 “What doesn’t help is the budget gap we’re facing as a result of everything we’ve done to mitigate the effects of the pandemic so far. 

“We hope the Government does the right thing and honours its pledge to give councils the resources they need to meet this challenge.”

Stockton’s full council will meet virtually on Wednesday to sign off using up to £6m of reserves to plug a covid-induced funding gap.