Maundy Relief

The New Safety Net

• 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 SCHEMEbond for tenants and ongoing support

• WINTER OVERNIGHT ACCOMODATIONEssential service

• PRE-PRIMARY CARE NURSE Assessment, advice, liaison, case management, mental/physical health

• OUTREACH SERVICE Social care, advocacy, case management

We are a key provider of health and social care

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 pwNo 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

Case study 1

• 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

Case study 2

• 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 weeks but 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

Case study 3