Collecting stories of holes in the welfare safety net

FROM CHURCH ACTION ON POVERTY

 

could you help them with supplying stories from your casework?  Please contact

Niall Cooper

Director
Church Action on Poverty

Dale House, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF

0161 236 9321 
niallc@church-poverty.org.uk

 

 

We're currently working on a report to highlight the increasing numbers of holes in the welfare safety net – to be published in late May (soon after the Election).  We're currently looking for case studies of people affected in the past couple of years to include – don't know if you might be able to help?

 

Below is a list of the kind of 'holes' we are talking about:

 

·         Delays or errors in assessing or transferring people between disability benefits (eg ESA, PIPs)

·         People who have been assessed as fit for work but have difficulty claiming JSA (or other benefits)

·         General delays, errors or underpayment of benefits

·         Sanctions, suspension of benefits and related problems

·         Problems or inability to get benefit advances or emergency payments

·         Any other general insecurities resulting from the way people are treated within the benefits system!

 

Ideally a story/case study would be up to 200 words in length, including a bit about the person, the nature of the holes/problems they experienced and the impact it had – ideally in the first person, or including a quote from them with their view/opinion on how they felt/feel about their experience.  Shorter quotes/stories would also be fine..

 

We could do with their first name (though anonymous is acceptable), age (at least to the decade) and the place they are from. If they would be willing to be photographed or videoed, or potentially be willing to be interviewed by a sympathetic journalist that would be even better – but quite understandable if not.

 

We're aiming to get all the text for the report together by the end of April – so if you could let me have anything by Thursday 30 April that would be fab…

 

We'll obviously be happy to reference/cite the organisation providing the case study in the report as well!

 

Best wishes

 

Niall

 

 

Niall Cooper

Director
Church Action on Poverty

Dale House, 35 Dale Street, Manchester, M1 2HF

0161 236 9321 
niallc@church-poverty.org.uk
www.church-poverty.org.uk

 

Church Action on Poverty is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales with No. 3780243. Charity No. 1079986.