CUTS to the homelessness budget mean an end to meals in hotels and B&Bs and a reduction in decorating temporary accommodation flats.

From this week, people who are accommodated in B&Bs and hotels will now only get breakfast after Scottish Government Covid money has ended.

It will save £1m, while the cut in redecorating will mean savings of up to £1.4m.

There are more than 6000 people each year in temporary accommodation in Glasgow and at the last count there were more than 700 people in hotels and B&Bs.

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The no meals policy started on Saturday and the council admits it will likely lead to “hardship” but it will direct people to other sources of free food.

Pat Togher, assistant chief officer of public protection and complex needs at the Health and Social Care Partnership, said it is a return to the policy in place before Covid.

In a report to the HSCP board, he said: “With the ending of the public health emergency this provision now needs to end.

“It has been agreed that the provision of meals, outwith breakfast, provided by the accommodation, will be phased out then completely cease at the end of March 2023 at an estimated cost of £1.013m.

“Prior to the pandemic food provision was not made available in bed and breakfast accommodation and this proposal simply returns to pre-pandemic service levels.

“The withdrawal of the provision of meals from the hotels will mean that service users will need to find alternative sources of food, this may lead to hardship for service users.”

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He added: “The service will work with partners to highlight alternative sources of free food provision to hotel residents.

“We will also ensure that the hotels will continue to provide breakfast to residents as with current funding arrangements.”

On the redecoration cuts, he said: “The service will also reduce the specification for the decoration of temporary furnished flats including costs and the removal of significant timescales for preparing accommodation.

“This will lead to the ending of the routine decoration of temporary furnished flats, as a result the service will only decorate properties in exceptional circumstances.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “The removal of temporary food provision from hotels is a return to pre-pandemic service arrangements.

“The other measures approved by members of the Integrated Joint Board are designed to protect the delivery of homelessness services' core priorities and help secure cost reductions.”