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Maundy Relief T he N ew S afety N et . Accrington based covers all East Lancashire Significant area of deprivation M ental health, drug and alcohol problems, poor or no accommodation. 8000 contacts per year Referred word of mouth, statutory and third sector DROP IN SERVICE
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Accrington based covers all East Lancashire • Significant area of deprivation • Mental health, drug and alcohol problems, poor or no accommodation. • 8000 contacts per year • Referred word of mouth, statutory and third sector • DROP IN SERVICE • hot meals • brews • legal and other advice from legally trained people and CAB • benefits support and from filling advice • phone and postal address • clothing • furniture • food parcels (3000 pa and on the increase) • a listening ear and kindness
COUNSELLING SERVICE currently NHS funded mostly volunteers • PRIVATE LANDLORD SCHEME bond for tenants and ongoing support • WINTER OVERNIGHT ACCOMODATION Essential service • PRE-PRIMARY CARE NURSE Assessment, advice, liaison, case management, mental/physical health • OUTREACH SERVICE Social care, advocacy, case management
Hardship and poverty is worse (December to March) • Food parcels (80% to sanctioned people) • 461 single people • 32 family (Increase of 35% in 2 years) • 57 fuel vouchers • 32 electric heaters
Most service users are single adults • Maundy Relief weekly budget for those ‘trying to help themselves’ looks like this: • Food £20/£25 • Gas and electricity £20 • Laundry £5 • Bus fairs £5 • Phone £5 • Council tax £4 • TV £4 • ESA/JSA leaves £4.40p for clothes, leisure or pet food • Balance Maundy Relief or (not often) petty crime, sex work or drugs dealing
Accommodation Under 35s get £53.50 pw No accommodation in Hyndburn other than poor quality House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
Sanctions • Commonly go to cash point machine and nothing in account • Any change from one strand of benefits to another results in a gap (eg ESA to JSA) of a month • Direct referral from local JSP to Maundy Relief for support
55 year old manual labourer gets laid off • Illiterate • JSA • Walks around industrial sites knocking on doors for job • Has had two job interviews • Didn’t understand IT, job search process despite basic skills course x2 • Sanctioned • Volunteers for Maundy • Serious bouts of depression which then required ESA and another month without money
32 female been victim of DV • secure refuge for three months • now living independently with support • advised by Jobcentre to apply for ESA (claim supported by her GP) • ESA claim refused • advised by Jobcentre to apply for JSA • at this stage had received no payments for 4 weeks • JSA claim successful • At second signing on (before first benefits paid) was told work diary didn't show activity for Sundays • sanctioned for 4 weeksbut received no payments for 6 weeks
continued to apply for jobs and two interviews • However anxiety increased substantially • very conscious that her appearance had deteriorated • food parcels and laundry costs from Maundy Relief • staff accompanied her to JCP and spoke on her behalf • had been in Northern Ireland and told she couldn’t be paid because “NI not part of UK”! • she is due to receive a payment this week but it will take some time before her mental health recovers