Councillors have been told the average Perth and Kinross household will see its annual budget stretched by around £3000 just for essentials.
A senior Perth and Kinross Council officer this week told a PKC committee many struggling families faced "an impossible hill to climb".
Free school meal applications have tripled and - "most worrying of all" - there has been a 262 per cent increase in the utilities debt caseload for Citizens Advice.
PKC's executive lead on Strategic Planning and Transformation Clare Mailer gave a presentation to PKC's Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on September 7 on the cost of living crisis. Ms Mailer broke the stark reality of what the current crisis means for the people of Perth and Kinross.
She said: "The average household in Perth and Kinross will see their annual budget stretched by £2958 just for essentials like: heating their home; putting food on the table; taking the bus to work; having use of a mobile phone and broadband at home; and paying for household goods and services, clothing and footwear.
"For many families who are struggling to make ends meet this is an impossible hill to climb."
PKC has undertaken a number of modelling exercises examining how the crisis will impact different households with varying incomes.
Ms Mailer said: "In many many cases essential spend exceeds income and just demonstrates the increment expenditure challenges many of our households are facing."
She added: "Citizens Advice reported a 40 per cent increase in contacts, benefit caseloads rising by 22 per cent, debt caseload increasing by 40 per cent, but - most worrying of all - is the 262 per cent increase in utilities debt caseload.
"Our Welfare Rights Team has reported a 64 per cent increase in contacts compared to May 2021 - all of which were benefit related."
Free school meal applications have trebled since 2019/20 and school clothing grants have increased by 15 per cent. There has been a 24 per cent increase in crisis fund applications compared with pre-pandemic figures. PKC is currently processing around 300 applications for the Financial Security Fund. With the situation changing on a daily basis Ms Mailer said she had "no doubt that figure is higher".
PKC's depute director of Communities Clare Mailer indicated the pressure on frontline staff. She said council staff who had spent the previous two years supporting some of PKC's most vulnerable households and communities through the pandemic were now being "forced into huge demands to really support our households".
She added: "All the work we do will be in a dignified and inclusive manner. We don't want stigma attached."
A number of measures have been taken by the council including establishing a fuel poverty steering group and a "significant spend" on home energy efficiency measures.
PKC is working with partners on its Winter Response Plan. Together they will map plans for support and cosy spaces across the area and look out for potential gaps. They will coordinate fuel and food activity, identify resources needed and have incident response arrangements for severe weather.
Councillors are being given regular briefings on the cost of living crisis.
SNP Strathearn councillor and the committee's convener Stewart Donaldson said: "It is a crisis and the real concern is the uncertainty of where we might be in three/six months' time."
Lib Dem Perth City Centre councillor Peter Barrett called for political oversight in the plans.
Perth City North Labour councillor Brian Leishman said: "It's imperative we continue to work together as a council to help people through these dreadful times."
