Poverty in Lincoln Work we are already doing to tackle poverty in Lincoln.....6 1.4 Objectives of the review .....7 ... • Campaigning against loan sharks and payday loans • The

Poverty in Lincoln

A Journal of the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review into poverty in Lincoln July 2013 – March 2014

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For more information on this report, please contact

Simon Walters AD – Corporate Review and Development City of Lincoln Council City Hall Beaumont Fee Lincoln LN1 1DD 01522 873325 [email protected]

James Wilkinson Policy and Strategic Information Officer City of Lincoln Council City Hall Beaumont Fee Lincoln LN1 1DD 01522 873325 [email protected]

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Table of Contents 1. Background Information ...........................................................................4

1.1 The Context of poverty ...........................................................................4

1.2 Definition of poverty................................................................................5

1.3 Work we are already doing to tackle poverty in Lincoln..........................6

1.4 Objectives of the review .........................................................................7

1.5 Scope of the review................................................................................8

1.6 The process..........................................................................................10

2. Information Gathering Phase..................................................................11

2.1 Statistical review...................................................................................11

2.2 Literature review...................................................................................13

3. Scrutiny Phase.........................................................................................20

3.1 Survey of key frontline service managers.............................................20

Issues identified ......................................................................................20

3.2 Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Conference ........................................22


3.3 The Personal Debt Summit ..................................................................23


3.4 Survey of external partners not involved in the initial scrutiny review...24


3.5 Benefits review.....................................................................................25


3.6 Accessing work review .........................................................................29


3.7 Child poverty and education review......................................................36


3.8 Health review........................................................................................43


3.9 Housing review.....................................................................................47


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4. Issues for exploration at the Lincoln Poverty Conference...................51

4.1 Morning workshop topics ..................................................................51

4.2 Afternoon workshop topics................................................................54

5. Lincoln Poverty Conference ...................................................................59

1.1 Morning Workshop: Child Poverty ....................................................59

1.2 Morning Workshop: Older Persons...................................................60

1.3 Morning Workshop: Accessing Work ................................................61

1.4 Morning Workshop: Low Income ......................................................62

1.5 Morning Workshop: Housing.............................................................63

1.6 Morning Workshop: Health ...............................................................64

1.7 Afternoon Workshop: A.....................................................................65

1.8 Afternoon Workshop: B.....................................................................65

1.9 Afternoon Workshop: C.....................................................................67

1.10 Afternoon Workshop: D...................................................................67

1.11 Afternoon Workshop: E...................................................................68

1.12 Afternoon Workshop: F...................................................................69

1.13 General recommendations..............................................................69

7. Conclusion ...............................................................................................70

Appendices ..................................................................................................71

Appendix A: Lincoln Case Studies..........................................................71

Appendix B: Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Conference ......................76

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1. Background Information

1.1 The Context of poverty

The impact of poverty is significant in the city. The statistics collected as part of this review reveal a very stark picture of what it is like to live on very limited income in the city today. Lincoln is no different to many cities up and down the country, in that deprivation exists - but for Lincoln, in various areas around the city, the depth of deprivation is that much more acute. This journal is supported by a comprehensive database that provides a range of hard-hitting facts about both the prevalence and impact of poverty locally. Whilst this in itself has an impact due to the figures involved, the scrutiny committee has built on this evidence base to hear real life stories about what life is like living in poverty in the city. The committee heard from practitioners and were presented with case studies from people struggling each day to ‘make ends meet’. The impact on people is very real in terms of increased stress, poor health, high debt and reduced income, especially following changes to benefits payments. In addition, this does not just affect adults - the committee learnt of the high incidence of child poverty and the limiting life chances this can bring. Life really is a struggle for many. Whilst the above was paramount in the committee’s focus, it was acknowledged that there has been an impact on the organisation itself. We have seen increases in Council Tax arrears, levels of outstanding rent arrears amongst our council tenants, huge increases in the demand for financial advice (particularly centred on Benefits available) and huge increases in homelessness cases. Partner organisations are reporting similar escalating demand for the services they offer. One of the starkest challenges relates to our administration of Housing Benefits, as well as our role as a social landlord. As of January 2014, there were 808 households affected by the Spare Room Subsidy. Of these, 672 households had one spare room (resulting in a total weekly loss of £6,968 / annual loss of £339,410), and 136 households had two or more spare bedrooms (resulting in a total weekly loss of £2,496 / annual loss of £121,259). In total, rent arrears amongst under-occupiers because of the Spare Room Subsidy stood at 5.22% (£196,753). Overall, as of October 2013, city council rent arrears increased, and of those tenants affected by the Spare Room Subsidy, 80% had rent arrears (only 37% were already in arrears). This created a reduction in income for the city council that was matched with a need to expend more resource in helping those affected. Housing Officers engage with those in arrears to ensure we treat them responsibly, and where possible, work with them to help provide the support they need. Although the impact of the Benefits Cap has been more limited than the Spare Room Subsidy, there are still 19 households affected by it. The total weekly loss of Housing Benefit for these households has been £788 (equating to an estimated annual loss of £39,200). The city council continues to work with

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those households, helping them to meet the challenges this has brought. As of January 2014, £8,206 in discretionary housing payments had been awarded. And of course staff have also seen a squeeze on their income, with more recent very small increases in pay after a long period of no pay rise at all. For this reason, we have taken the step of moving all our staff onto the Living wage to help eliminate low pay as a cause of poverty.

1.2 Definition of poverty

Our understanding of poverty is based on a set of core beliefs:

• Poverty is caused by structural inequalities at both the local and national level.

• We disagree with the common myth that people in poverty have a high degree of control over their individual circumstances.

• We understand the financial struggle for many people living in poverty and on benefits.

• We appreciate low pay is a cause of poverty, and many of those in poverty are from working households. Combined with low pay, many people must work irregular hours and late nights, whilst enjoying very little job security and employment rights1.

Poverty cuts across all aspects of a person’s life, and can be defined when someone lacks the resources, be it material or other, to be excluded from the society in which they belong. The definition of poverty, shown below, has been accepted by Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee: “Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities, and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved, in the societies to which they belong. Their resources are so seriously below those commanded by the average individual or family that they are, in effect, excluded from ordinary patterns, customs and activities2.” The impact of inequality on the poorest in society can be shown through worse infant mortality rates, lower participation in further education, higher likelihood of overweight children, higher likelihood of mental health problems amongst adults, and lower social mobility3. Poverty is a cyclical issue, with the life chances of many children in poor families being impacted4.

1 Methodist Church et al. (2013) The lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about

poverty, Methodist Publishing 2 Townsend, P. (1979) cited by PSE UK (2013) Deprivation and Poverty

3 Wilkinson, R. (2010) The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality makes Societies Stronger

4 Methodist Church et al. (2013) The lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about

poverty, Methodist Publishing

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Whilst acknowledging this definition of poverty shows the broad and complex nature of poverty, the work of this committee focuses on those short to medium-term issues that can start to be addressed in advance of the wider emerging Growth Strategy.

1.3 Work we are already doing to tackle poverty in Lincoln

Prior to this review taking place, the City of Lincoln Council, through its strategic priority of ‘reducing poverty and disadvantage’, was already doing a significant amount to tackle poverty in Lincoln. Recognising the impact changes to the benefits system are having on people in poverty, we continue to:

• Helping those eligible apply for disability benefits

• Holding benefit advice outreach sessions at nine locations citywide

• Contacting individuals affected by the cap in benefits to offer advice and assistance

• Contacting all council tenants affected by the housing benefits spare room reduction to advise them of their options

We also appreciate that rising living costs are putting increasing financial pressure on many households. In response to this, we:

• Offering a comprehensive benefits advice service

• Helping those eligible to apply for discretionary housing payments

• Award discretionary housing payments where hardship is demonstrated, up to our budget

• Helping people in debt with money advice and negotiate with their creditors

• Supporting and encouraging new council tenants to sign up to the Credit Union, and provide a small financial incentive to do so

• Campaigning against loan sharks and payday loans

• The impending review of the Fair Debt Collection Policy in 2014 (something that Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee has played an active role in instigating)

Homelessness, although not necessarily a consequence of poverty itself, can act as a catalyst to poverty, and create an additional strain for people. The City of Lincoln Council undertakes a wide range of preventative work as a ‘first line of defence’ against homelessness. This includes:

• Negotiating with family, friends or landlords to understand the cause of homelessness and support them in finding a solution

• Offering mediation services to resolve disputes through one of our trained partner organisations

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• Signposting to our own Money Advice Service to provide support in dealing with debt problems and rent arrears

• Signposting to our Housing Benefits Team

• Providing financial support through Discretionary Housing Payments to help when people’s housing payments exceed their income

• Signposting to the ‘Court Desk’ – a free service run by a local firm of solicitors who provide representation for people taken to court for rent and mortgage arrears, who refer the client to debt advice services after the court case

• The ‘Mortgage Rescue Scheme’ which can provide some financial assistance for people in mortgage arrears and at risk of homelessness

• The ‘Sanctuary Scheme’ which provides support with improving home security for people at risk of violence, reducing the need for them to leave their home

In addition, if someone is made homeless, we work to support them in finding somewhere to live. This includes:

• Signposting to landlords and letting agencies in the local area

• Providing a ‘Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme’ for when people cannot afford a deposit

• Signposting to our own Money Advice Service

• Signposting to our Housing Benefits team

• Signposting to a relevant partner that can support them into sheltered accommodation if they have needs that make them at risk of becoming homeless again (e.g. drug and alcohol support or general support with maintaining a tenancy)

• Providing lettings in our own council housing stock dependent on need

• In extreme cases, providing temporary accommodation to avoid homelessness, when a case is being assessed and a more permanent solution found

1.4 Objectives of the review

The council has a fundamental responsibility to challenge poverty in all its forms. Although it is recognised we are already doing a lot to challenge poverty, it must also be considered that the landscape affecting the council’s strategic priority of ‘protecting the poorest people in Lincoln’ has changed dramatically at a national and local level. The key aspirational outcomes of Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review were agreed as:

• Those residents in most need “see and feel” the outcome of the review

• Raising public awareness of the scale of the problem of poverty in Lincoln

• Identifying the key factors contributing to / causing low income in the city, including low pay, under-employment and the impacts of Welfare Reform

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• Identifying the distribution of poverty in the city, and where the acutest issues are located

• A description of the major impacts / effects of low income, with particular regard to educational under-attainment, health outcomes, and access to affordable housing

• Collating information about the work being done by organisations in the city to relieve poverty

• Identifying the gaps in provision and / or areas of duplication of effort

• Providing the council with a written report, which includes recommendations, based on the evidence gathered, to mitigate the short to medium-term effects of poverty on residents in the city, through the development of a multi-agency strategy and action plan

• Opportunity to link into, and inform, the emerging Growth Strategy for the city in terms of tackling the longer term structural issues

1.5 Scope of the review

Tackling the structural causes and effects of poverty is a key driver of the work being progressed to establish and deliver the council’s Growth Strategy, but there is much that is already being done and more than can be done to help deal with the effects being felt today. We all have the opportunity to tackle poverty on two basic levels: 1. Structural longer term causes of poverty – delivered via a Growth Strategy

being developed by the Growth Board 2. Mitigating the short to medium-term effect of poverty – delivered via this

scrutiny review The structural issues to be delivered by the Growth Strategy cover key aspects such as driving the availability of employment opportunities, improving the city’s infrastructure, maximising growth in housing, and tackling inequality and low pay levels through the distribution of wealth. It will focus on developing an understanding of, and subsequently tackling, the causes of poverty in the longer term. This review of poverty was based on the belief that people do want to move themselves out of poverty, and that there are actions that can be taken to alleviate the effects of poverty on the most vulnerable. The resulting strategy will focus on short to medium-term opportunities for direct intervention that we can all make.

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By adopting this two strand approach, this review of poverty has been very much nestled within the over-arching Growth Strategy. Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee has agreed to define the scope as focussing on poverty and how it relates to low income, worklessness, child poverty and education, health and housing. This is shown in the process of the review as outlined in section 1.6 (on next page), and the focus and outcomes of each discussion are show in sections 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9.

Review of Poverty: immediate action

Growth Strategy: investment for the future

Dealing with the short to medium-term effects of poverty

Dealing with the long-term structural causes of poverty

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1.6 The process

Review of statistical data to identify issues relating to

poverty in Lincoln to inform Community Leadership

Committee reviews

Review of academic literature to understand the issues relating to poverty to

inform Community Leadership Committee

reviews

Survey key frontline service managers at the City of

Lincoln Council to identify poverty related issues from

their service areas’ perspective

Survey key external partners not involved in

initial scrutiny the review to identify poverty related

issues from their organisations’ perspective

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review of claiming benefits and poverty to identify key

issues

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review

of worklessness and poverty to identify key

issues

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review

of child poverty and education to identify key

issues

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review of health and poverty to

identify key issues

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review of housing and poverty to

identify key issues

Lincoln Poverty Conference with

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee and key partners to identify actions to address the poverty related issues

identified

Development of a proposed Anti-Poverty

Strategy and Action Plan for Lincoln

Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee to refer

proposed Strategy and Action Plan to Executive for

approval

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2. Information Gathering Phase

2.1 Statistical review

The proportion of children living in poverty in Lincoln in 2010 (24.1%) was higher than the national (20.6%) and regional (18.7%) rates. Child poverty is even higher in some areas of the city such as Glebe (33.3%), Moorland (30.9%) and Birchwood (30.4%)5. The estimated annual cost of child poverty in Lincoln is £44 million6. Lincoln also has a higher proportion of households estimated to be in fuel poverty than both the region and country, with 19.2% of households in the city estimated to be in fuel poverty, compared to 18.2% in the East Midlands, and 16.4% in England. Fuel poverty is even higher in some areas of the city such as Abbey (24.7%), Park (23.7%) and Carholme (23.1%)7. Income has increased by 3.2% in Lincoln in 2012, compared to an increase of 1.7% in the East Midlands, and an increase of 1.6% in England. Despite this, over a longer period, Lincoln has seen a lower increase in salary than the region and country. Average pay in Lincoln is only 4.3% higher in 2012 than it was in 2006, compared to 10.1% higher in the East Midlands, and 10.5% in England8. Additionally, 2011 data suggests there is a significant disparity between what the highest and lowest employees earn. Estimates show the lowest 20% of earners may be earning below £10,016 per annum in Lincoln, compared to the highest 20% of earners, earning above £30,112 per annum9. This is against a backdrop of a low skilled and low wage economy. The census estimates 33.4% of Lincoln’s population belong to the lowest social grade grouping of semi-skilled occupations, unskilled occupations, or unemployed, compared to 27.9% in the East Midlands, and 25.5% in England10.

5 HMRC (2012) 2010 Child Poverty

6 Child Poverty Action Group (July 2013) ‘Local authorities and child poverty’

7 DECC (2011) 2010 Fuel Poverty cited by LRO (2012) Fuel Poverty

8 ONS (2012) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

9 ONS (2011) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings

10 ONS (2012) 2011 Census: Social Grade

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The graph below shows a snapshot of some key indicators relating to the extent of poverty related issues in Lincoln:

11,12,13,14,15,16 This overview of information is drawn from the much larger evidence base that underpins the Anti-Poverty work of Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee. This wider evidence base can be accessed on the City of Lincoln Council website via: www.lincoln.gov.uk > ‘Your Council’ >> ‘Information, Policies and Publications’ >>> ‘Corporate Publications’.

11

Department for Communities and Local Government (2011) Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 12

Department for Energy and Climate Change (2011) Number of households in fuel poverty 2010 13

HM Revenue and Customs (2012) Child Poverty 2010 14

Office for National Statistics (2013) Jobseekers Alowance Claimants April 2013 15

Office for National Statistics (2013) Key Out of Work Benefits November 2012 16

Lincoln Community Larder (2012) Number of meals provided in 2011

Setting the scene in Lincoln

10,427

7,756

3,201

22,149

4,500

8,760

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Number of people living

in deprived areas

(2010)

Number of households

in fuel poverty

(2010)

Number of children

living in poverty

(2010)

Number of people

claiming Jobseekers

Allowance

(April 2013)

Number of people

claiming all key out of

work benefits inc.

jobseekers, ESA etc.

(November 2012)

Number of meals

provided by Lincoln

Community Larder

(2011)

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2.2 Literature review

Poverty is not a new phenomenon, and myths regarding ‘the poor’ have developed over time, with some blaming issues such as laziness, addiction to drink and drugs, and poor money management as key causal factors17. There is evidence to suggest that negative perceptions of ‘the poor’ even exist amongst those who are experiencing poverty themselves18. Housing and fuel poverty The cost of housing can have a large impact on poverty, and whereas poverty exists in both social housing and private housing, private sector rent levels are becoming an increasing issue. The provision of housing benefit makes a significant impact on this type of poverty; although many people on low-incomes are unaware that they are entitle to claim benefit. The retention of social housing can help to provide more low cost options of renters19. Adding to this is the issue of rises in the cost of fuel, combined with flat incomes. In 2010, 3.5 million households were in fuel poverty, compared to 1 million in 2004. It is recognised that council can do little to influence energy suppliers to change their prices, and therefore emphasis needs to be on supporting people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, and to find cheaper alternative tariffs20. Lack of bank accounts to pay by direct debit can also increase utility (and other) bills. The higher costs associated with lack of internet access and bank accounts (and the existence of pre-payment meters) is referred to as the ‘poverty premium’, which leads to some people on low income paying over £1,280 more per year for goods and services21. Health Very much linked to the issue of fuel poverty is health, with one in five instances of excess winter deaths being attributable to living in the coldest quarter of housing. In addition, children that are living in cold homes are more likely to suffer from respiratory and mental health problems, than their peers living in warm homes are. Additionally, evidence suggests that many older people have to make difficult choices between having enough food, being warm, or having sufficient personal care, with one in three older people struggling financially. The stark reality is, however, that many people on the brink of fuel poverty have to face difficult decisions between spending their money on fuel bills, or on other essential items such as food, and spending to repay debts. All of these can exacerbate physical and mental problems22.

17

Baptist Union of Great Britain et al. (2013) ‘The lies we tell ourselves’ 18

Shildrick, T. and MacDonald, R. (2013) ‘Poverty talk: how people experiencing povrty deny their poverty and why they blame ‘the poor’’, in The Sociological Review, Vol.61, pp.285-303 19

Joseph Rowntree Foudnation (June 2013) ‘Poverty and problematic debt’ 20

Local Government Association (July 2013) ‘Tackling fuel poverty through local leadership’ 21

Sheffield Fairness Commission (ND) ‘Making Sheffield Fairer 22

Local Government Association (July 2013)’Tackling fuel poverty through local leadership’

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Inequality can also have a serious health impact on the poor, and those living in the most deprived areas of society, with children in particular having worse infant mortality rates, through to lower levels of participation in further education. In less equal societies, children are more likely to be overweight, be victims of bullying, and to become teenage mothers. Adults in less equal societies are more likely to have mental health problems, to have problems with drugs and alcohol, to work longer hours, and have more debt pressures on family life. It is also suggested that social mobility is lower in less equal societies, so it is more difficult for children to escape from intergenerational cycles of poverty and deprivation23. Income, finances and welfare reform In the UK, living standards for those with lower than average incomes have been squeezed since 200424. In a study, the Money Advice Service found that many people were managing their money well. The number of people checking their bank statements has increased since 2006, with 84% keeping track of their money. The majority of people with a budget are also sticking to it, and the majority of the population save something each month. Despite this motivation to manage their money well, the proportion of people struggling with their finances has increased from one third in 2006, to more than half in 2013. Parents in particular are struggling, with 44% having to make cutbacks. This proportion is even higher for the parents in receipt of benefits. However, when shown a bank balance, 16% of respondents failed identify the ‘available balance’, with this rising to over a quarter of those aged over 55. In addition, 14% of under 35s thought it was better to start paying into a pension in their fifties rather than their twenties. This shows a potential financial education issue. Evidence also suggests that young children should be encouraged to save money, as money habits are often established by the age of seven25. Welfare reforms, the biggest in 60 years26, are putting additional strain on the incomes of the most disadvantaged (tax credit reductions, child benefit freeze, benefit cuts, bedroom tax)27, and may increase likelihood of households getting into debt and poverty28. Research suggests a significant number of people are unprepared for online applications for Universal Credit, with some people not having access to banking services to handle support payments and any income, which they receive29.

23

Wilkinson, R. et al. (August 2010) ‘The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality makes Societies Stronger’ 24

The Smith Institute (July 2013) ‘Just Deserts? Poverty and income inequality’ 25

Money Advice Service (August 2013) ‘The financial capability of the UK’ 26

Sheffield City Council (July 2013) ‘Report to Safer and Stronger Communities Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee’ 27


Joseph Rowntree Foundation (June 2013) ‘Poverty and problematic debt’ 29

Citizens Advice Bureau (6 November 2013) ‘22% don’t have basic banking services need to deal with Universal Credit’, www.citizensadvice.org.uk

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A topic that has received attention in the media lately is that of zero-hour contacts30,31,32. A survey showed 34% of voluntary sector employers, 24% of public sector employers, and 17% of private sector employers used zero-hour contacts. Evidence suggests it tends to be the larger employers than the smaller ones. Some argue that zero-hour contracts can provide flexibility to employees who might need it, e.g. parents of young children, carers, students, and others who need to fit work flexibly around their home / study lives33. However, there others that argue zero-hours contracts create insecurity for, and exploitation of, affected employees. It is argued that zero-hour contracts exacerbate the issue of underemployment, and are related to lower pay and reduced benefits (such as holiday pay, pensions etc.)34. According to Resolution Foundation think-tank, 27% of workers on low pay in 2002 remained in the bottom bracket for the next 10 years. A further 46% move in and out of low wages, but failed to break free of them for good by the end of the decade. Only 18% move up the ladder for a sustained period without slipping back into low pay. A further 9% retired or left the labour market. The north-east of the country was where workers were most likely to be trapped on low earnings, followed by the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside and Wales. Half of all workers trapped for the decade were aged between 41 and 60, and women were much more likely to be stuck on low pay then men. The sectors where people were most likely to be stuck included retail, hospitality, sales, customer services, manufacturing and care35. Debt There are a number of reasons why people might fall into problem debt, with key causes being stuck in a ‘low-pay-no-pay cycle’, as well as delays and errors with regard to benefits, and lack of synchronisation with rent payments and housing benefit payments. Debt can also occur at certain times in a person’s life, for example in early adulthood when leaving home with little financial experience. It can also accumulate over many years when dealing with normal life events like setting up a home, paying for a car repair, buying new clothes etc36. Payday loans can also represent a problem, with 45% of people frequently struggling to make it to payday. In addition to payday loans, reliance on credit

30

Reed, J. and Butterly, A. (2013) ‘People on zero-hour contracts paid less than others’, BBC Newsbeat: 20 August 2013 31

McTague, T. (2013) ‘Ed Miliband to abolish zero-hour contracts for 5.5 million workers’, Mirror: 9 September 2013 32

McSmith, A. (2013) ‘Zero-hour contracts not only affecting low-paid workers, reveals report’, The Independent: 28 August 2013 33

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (August 2013) ‘Zero hours contracts more widespread than thought – but only minority of zero hours workers want to work more hours’ 34

Unite the Union (2013) ‘Brief on zero-hour contracts – August 2013’ 35

Grive, A. (2013) ‘Millions of workers in Britain snared by low-pay trap’, The Guardian: Wednesday 27 November 2013 36

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (June 2013) ‘Poverty and problematic debt’

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more generally is high, with millions of homeowners relying on credit to pay for their mortgages. Around three million people in Britain now use home credit (e.g. doorstep lenders), and a further two million people take out payday loans. Although credit unions can provide an affordable alternative, it would take at least a decade for them to fill the demand for affordable credit37. Education Literature suggests that children from poorer families tend to have lower educational attainment, and participation in post-compulsory education, than their more affluent peers do. The attainment gap emerges early in a child’s life, even before entry into school. It continues through the school life in the child, resulting in a considerable attainment gap at age 16 and beyond38. This is referred to again in another Joseph Rowntree Foundation report that argues the gap between children from poorer and richer backgrounds widens particularly quickly during primary school (with parents having a considerable impact on their child’s attainment potential). The report suggests intervening earlier in childhood is likely to be most effective, along with the provision of books and reading for pre-school, and computers for teenagers in the home. Encouraging children and their parents to have belief in their own actions and efforts can also lead to higher educational attainment39. The important role parents play in children’s education was highlighted by Dr. Kevan Collins, Chief Executive of the Education Endowment Foundation. Dr. Collins said, “parents are a child’s first educators, and their ability to support their children’s learning can have a big impact on whether or not their child succeeds at school and in later life. Where parents themselves don’t know enough about basic maths or literacy, they can’t help with homework and support teachers40.” Child poverty National evidence suggests that 61% of parents in poverty have had to cut back on food, and just over one quarter have had to skip meals in the past year. Additionally, almost 1 in 5 responding parents in poverty said their children had to go without new shoes when they needed them, and 1 in 5 children in poverty missed going on school trips. Additionally, more than 1 in 10 children in poverty are estimated not to have a warm coat41.

37

Creasy, S. (2013) ‘Ending legal loan sharking: Local campaign pack 2013’ 38

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (April 2012) ‘The roles of aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in closing the educational attainment gap’ 39

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (March 2010) ‘The importance of attitudes and behaviour for poorer children’s educational attainment’ 40

Collins, K. cited by Burns, J. (15 November 2013) ‘BBC News: Education and Family’, www.bbc.co.uk/news 41

End Child Poverty Campaign (February 2013) ‘Child Poverty Map of the UK’

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The quality of housing a child grows up in is also thought to affect the wellbeing of that child. Poor quality housing, together with homelessness and living in temporary accommodation, all pose risks to health, especially the health of children. Children who live in overcrowded, poor quality housing are more likely to experience health issues such as respiratory difficulties, and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. There is also a relationship between the make-up of a family and their affluence, with 31% of children in lone-parent families living in ‘low-income and materially deprived households’, compared to a lower 11% of children in families with two adults. In addition, teenage mothers have three times the rate of postnatal depression, and are at a higher risk of poor mental health for three years after birth. They are also less likely to finish their schooling, which has a consequential impact on unemployment. Additionally, it is suggested that mothers living in poverty are more likely to give birth to low birth weight babies; a factor associated with poorer long-term health and educational outcomes. Children living in poverty can face additional risks if they live in households where there are mental health problems, drug and alcohol misuse, intimate partner violence, and serious health problems42. Additional financial pressures such as school uniforms, stationary and bags can also place strain on a low-income family. It was reported in The Independent (Thursday 15 August 2013) that the average cost for kitting out a primary school pupil is £156, and for a secondary school pupil it is £285. The article suggested parents in poverty have to spend up to two-fifths of their income in August on back-to-school costs. In addition, it referred to a Family Action survey of 13 state schools, and found one example of an academy where 70% of parents had to take out loans to pay for the new £225 uniform. The previous uniform for the old school had cost £9943. Work and worklessness Some have argued links between health and unemployment, with people with disabilities tending to have lower rates of employment, lower incomes, and a higher likelihood of living in poverty. Additionally, statistics show 87% of people out of work due to mental health conditions have been our of work for more than two years, most for five44. Worklessness and poverty have a strong association. In 2009/10, two-thirds of working-age adults living in workless households were in poverty, compared to 15% of families where someone worked. While traditionally policies have focused on the unemployed, inactivity (e.g. due to ill-health or other) is the main cause of worklessness.

42

British Medical Association Board of Science (May 2013) ‘Growing up in the UK’ 43

Gardern, R. (2013) ‘Parents forced into debt to pay for school uniforms’, The Independent: Thursday 15 August 2013 44

Sheffield Fairness Commission (ND) ‘Making Sheffield Fairer’

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However, in-work poverty has grown45, and around half of those who are in poverty and of working age live in a household where at least one person works. At most risk are those families with a single earner in low-wage or part-time jobs, with families headed by one female earner (whether single or partnered) particularly likely to be in poverty46. The length of unemployment can create additional challenges, with people out of work for a year or more starting to de-skill47. Many families where only one adult works are facing increasing strain. Getting both parents into employment is seen as one way to increase household income and tackle poverty. Addiction Addictions are often blamed as a causal factor for poverty48, and indeed, addiction to alcohol and drugs can be both a cause and consequence of poverty. However, whilst poverty affects more than 1 in 5 of the population, serious problems of drug and alcohol addiction (e.g. crack cocaine and opiates) affects an estimated 0.9% of the adult population. Additionally, 3.8% of the adult population are estimated to be dependent on alcohol. This shows us that, despite the severe consequences of addiction in poverty, addictions are not common amongst people in poverty – only a small fraction is affected49. Joseph Rowntree Procurement Recommendations

• Train staff to ensure all service commissioning activities, procurements, and service delivery activities reflects poverty considerations.

• When planning new services, engage with the voluntary sector to consider co-production, and road-test with them to identify the expected poverty-related outcomes.

• Use targeted recruitment and training clauses in procurement to create jobs and enable apprenticeships and training.

• Simplify the procurement process to enable local and small businesses and the voluntary and community sector to become more aware of procurement opportunities.

• Continue to monitor contribution towards poverty outcomes - for many LAs, a procurement exercise ends when a contract is let and the appointed supplier goes out and delivers the service. This should not be the case: monitoring the benefit a supplier is bringing to a locality in

45


Joseph Rowntree Foundation (June 2012) ‘Poverty: The role of institutions, behaviours and culture’ 47

Sheffield Fairness Commission (ND) ‘Making Sheffield Fairer’ 48

Baptist Union of Great Britain et al. (2013) ‘The lies we tell ourselves’ 49

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (June 2012) ‘Poverty: The role of institutions, behavious and cultures’

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economic, social, environmental, and poverty terms should be a key part of a cyclical approach50.

50

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (October 2013) ‘Addressing Poverty Through Local Governance’

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3. Scrutiny Phase

3.1 Survey of key frontline service managers

The following service areas responded to this survey:

• Customer Services

• Shared Revenues and Benefits

• Housing Strategy

• Tenancy Services

• Neighbourhood Working NB. Many more service areas have been engaged with throughout the Scrutiny Review process through the attendance of ‘expert officers’ (sections 3.3 to 3.8)

Issues identified

A number of key issues were identified by frontline service managers and officers (where noted):

• Low pay – no pay cycle (including zero hour contracts)

• Lack of ICT skills amongst some customers

• Lack of affordable childcare enabling parents to train / work

• Debt issues and pay day loans / loan sharks

• Retraction of external services for those with mental health problems has meant less support is available to these groups

• Lack of clear knowledge amongst officers over remit of partner organisations, client hand-over points, and named liaison officers

• Fuel costs are high for many residents

• Provision of services for14-19 year olds is confusing, and lacks people to sign-post and co-ordinate

• Some people have difficulties in accessing information in regard to affordable housing (e.g. which landlords accept Housing Benefit)

• The move to online and telephone based service provision may cause problems with vulnerable clients who often need face to face support

• Keep the council tax support scheme to protect low-income non-working, and working, households

• Look at energy efficiency measures and renewing the Fuel Poverty Strategy

• Consider collective switching

• Renew the Fair Collection Policy

• Amend discretionary housing payment procedures to react to changes in demands or circumstances

• Build relationships with schools who are the most effective partner to engage with young people and families

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• Set up a Social Lettings Agency in the city to provide people with help and support in accessing social housing

• Policies and procedures need to be explored from the perspective of the most vulnerable (as opposed to the average) client

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3.2 Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Conference

27 September 2013 On Friday 27 September 2013, Lincolnshire County Council hosted the Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Conference. Key notes from the meeting, applicable to the Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee review of poverty, are shown below. It was noted at the conference that financial exclusion could affect anybody. One of the key reasons for financial exclusion, and subsequent financial strain, was complicated language used for financial products. This meant people got involved in products they may not understand, or felt they should not take advantage of available products. This could lead them to getting involved in alternative, and more costly, options. It was also noted that, although there were many agencies that provided advice once a client got into poverty or financial difficulty, there was not much advice available to people not currently in poverty, but at risk of poverty in the future. It was felt that this preventative support was lacking. Although Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee acknowledges those ‘at risk’ are less visible and hence find services less accessible. Under the Local Support Services Framework (LSSF), organisations are coming together to discuss the welfare reform changes, how this will impact on local residents in the city, and what can be done through partnership working to mitigate the consequences of this. There is some funding for the local partnership to ‘buy in’ some additional support, and the plan will be specific to Lincoln District. The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee remained abreast of, and fed in to, the LSSF discussions, to avoid duplication, and identify the gaps.

Issues identified

• Are financial products on offer simple, or are confusing terms / acronyms used?

• Are mental health services signposting to debt advice?

• Are our money advice services, and are partner services regarding debt, available to provide preventative advice?

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3.3 The Personal Debt Summit

21 January 2014 Key contextual information

• There are four early signs of debt: o Using credit to pay off credit o Falling behind with household bills o Paying minimum payments on credit cards consecutively o Relying on loan companies to get to pay day

• 20% of people approaching CAB with pay day debts are spending their pay day loans on other debts

Issues identified

• Ban payday lenders from advertising over our wifi (and ‘on Lincolnshire’ wifi?). Ban payday lenders from using our premises or any advertising spaces we may have.

• Explore with ‘Step Change’ how we can work together to combat debt in our local area.

• UK Debt Advice Programme of the Money Advice Service has created a quality standard that providers must abide by. Explore the extent to which this is adhered to locally.

• Bring LCC on board with supporting people on their schemes and programmes (e.g. troubled families) to get a credit union account.

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3.4 Survey of external partners not involved in the initial scrutiny review

The following organisations responded to this survey:

• Workers’ Educational Association Lincolnshire

• Green Synergy

• Framework Housing Association

• Aaron Services Ltd.

• Lincolnshire County Council

• Pelican Trust Ltd.

Issues identified

• Poor budgeting skills

• There is a need to tackle issues related to youth / child poverty in Abbey ward (particularly around Monks Road and Tower Estate).

• Welfare reforms / benefit cuts are creating a challenge for many people

• Increases to the cost of living are placing a strain on many individual and household finances

• There is a lack of social housing in Lincoln, and private sector rents are high

• There are gaps in support provided to people with mental health problems

• Fuel poverty is a typical issue – often linked to the presence of pre-payment meters

• Not enough benefits and pension advice

• Holistic service provision that deals with all complex issues people face

• Confusion over what support there is for people in poverty in the city

• There is a need for telephone advice, as agency waiting times can be very long

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3.5 Benefits review

9 September 2013 The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee invited a number of key external partners to the review of benefits and poverty:

• Stephen McKay (Professor of Social Research at University of Lincoln)

• Derrick Brown (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Neil Clurow (Citizens Advice Bureau)

• John Eames (Lincoln Credit Union)

• Tina James (Lincoln Community Larder)

• Joy Blundell (Acts Trust)

• Michelle Seddon (Age UK)

• Martin Walmsley (Benefits, City of Lincoln Council) Officers also met with each external partner after scrutiny to explore some of the issues raised in more detail. The key points from these follow-up discussions are included in the text below. Professor Stephen McKay, Distinguished Professor of Social Research, The University of Lincoln There has been a slow down in companies hiring which has had an impact on young people and the long-term unemployed, and static or falling wages are causing strain against a backdrop of inflation. There is an issue concerning the number of ‘working poor’; poverty is not just confined to those who are out of work. This is partly caused by ‘under employment’, with many people not working as many hours as they need or want to. Benefits changes are expected to particularly affect families with children and single people. There is also a problem of increasing debt amongst many people, a problem that is exacerbated given the limited amount of savings held by many. Derrick Brown, Partnership Manager, Jobcentre Plus Lincoln There is an issue with unemployment, particularly amongst the 25-49 age bracket, with Lincoln seeing higher rates of unemployment amongst this age group than both the region and country. Lack of work experience, and employers perceptions of young people, may be affecting young peoples’ opportunities. Despite this, Lincoln has a better than average young adult unemployment rate. Benefit claimants are becoming increasingly encouraged to claim online, and most claims for Universal Credit will need to be made online. The provision of facilities to enable people with no access to a computer, and support for

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people will a low level of computer literacy, will need to be considered. Additionally, In terms of gaining a job, people need support in order to market themselves online. If a scheduled pilot project is rolled out in Lincoln, it will see a change to the Jobcentre Plus offices, where computer terminals will be provided for people to use, and support will be available where people have a low level of computer literacy. The benefits system moving forward will focus on personal responsibility (e.g. people will receive the benefit payments to their bank account, and then be responsible for paying their bills). Neil Clurow, Chief Officer, Lincoln and District Citizens Advice Bureau Ltd. There are increasing numbers of people more complex needs than in the past. There has been a shift to helping people in work on low income, with under-employment being an issue. To put this is context, 43% of all clients are in part-time work, and this represents the largest client group. A significant proportion of client enquiries to the CAB concerns debt (particularly credit / store card debt, and unsecured debt). These are often mixed with other types of debts (e.g. household and utilities). The most common tenancy of clients with debt problems is social renters, followed shortly by people in the private sector. Advice cases tend to be more prevalent in Abbey ward and in Park ward, where the Big Lottery Fund is funding CAB outreach work – this funding is coming to an end in 2015. The promotion of the Lincoln Credit Union was seen as a positive thing to help tackle debt issues in the city, as well as promotion of First Contact to encourage effective signposting. In addition, there was a need for an accessible computer suite to help claim benefits and avoid the poverty premium. It is often the most vulnerable people who are unable to use the internet. This creates a digital divide. There is a need to establish, and signpost to, advice services that offer out-of-work-hours advice. Many people in work and on low incomes need advice, some of whom may not be able to access this if they work office hours. A potential solution might be to expand advice provision over the telephone (so people can either contact at lunchtimes, or out of hours). John Eames, Chief Executive Officer, Lincolnshire Credit Union Finances are a struggle for many people, with savings being an essential role in budget management. A significant number of people are turned down for loan applications each year (41%) because they are unable to demonstrate their ability to repay the loan. There is also significant concern over welfare benefit reforms.

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It is estimated that 13% of social tenants do not have a bank account. Lincolnshire Credit Union offers a pre-payment visa card and account that can be used to pay direct debits. Tina James, Trustee, Lincoln Community Larder and Joy Blundell, Director, Lincoln Food Bank Demand for food has soared by 170% at Lincoln Community Larder, with funding from grants, churches and other donations. Last week, food was provided for 80 people, 46 of whom had problems with benefits. Particularly issues regarding benefits sanctions have an impact on clients. Other client ‘characteristics’ include mental health problems, long-term unemployment, and nothing to put away from emergencies. The most common area for referrals are Abbey and Park, although need may be high elsewhere, but the city centre location lends itself to residents near the city centre more. The Acts Trust, which runs in partnership with Food Bank, also provides a debt advice service in partnership with Christians Against Poverty, along with a furniture scheme for people in need. The negative psychological impact of poverty was highlighted. Michele Seddon, Chief Executive Officer, Lincoln Age UK There has been a significant increase in the number of older people wanting to access advice at Lincoln Age UK concerning benefits and finances. One of the key reasons for this was the changes to the county’s ‘Fair Access Criteria’, which resulted in more people being signposted to Age UK for support. In addition, there is an increasing complexity of issues that people present at Age UK, such as people with mental health issues. There are still many older people, however, who are unaware support is available to them. One in three older people are struggling financially (particularly as a result of changes to social care funding). Many older people have to make the difficult choice between having enough food, being warm, or having sufficient personal care. In 2012/13, Lincoln Age UK supported people to claim £1.5million of previously unclaimed benefit (the resource for this was two part-time members of staff). Many people however are unaware of their entitlement, and some that are, are too embarrassed to claim.

Issues identified

• Lincoln Community Larder advertisement in City Hall reception area

• Encouragement for employers to recruit young people

• Promotion of the Living Wage

• Move away from ‘zero hour contracts’

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• A need for people to establish regular patterns of savings

• Opportunities for people to claim benefits online at a range of locations around the city. Potentially a significant amount of unclaimed benefit in the city

• Negative psychological impact of poverty

• Lack of awareness that support is available, particularly amongst older people

• Out of hours advice provision needed for people who work and are on low pay

• Prevention plays an important role in tackling future poverty

• There is a significant waiting list for home visits to older people – how can MECC help reduce waiting times?

• How can the city council promote its information advice services and dispel any negative myths?

• There is a lack of clarity over the number of food parcel charities operating in the city, but there is a belief that supply is not meeting demand

• Lack of understanding over how poverty affects migrant workers

• Provision of advice and information to support social tenants make cost effective choices regarding their utilities

• Potential promotion of affordable options instead of purchasing new white goods

• Exploration into any local flexibility into the application of DWP sanctions

• A ‘back to the floor’ initiative for managers would help them re-connect with issues on the ground

• There is a current gap for a regular poverty forum to explore poverty issues, including a need for a network for advice services

• There is an opportunity to explore how the establishment of a ‘Fair Share’ distribution centre can be maximised to help those in need in the city

• Some authorities have used their local assistance scheme to extend three day food parcels to five days, and provide gas and electricity vouchers up to the value of £47 (£28 for an individual) along with the food parcel51.

51

Taken from Butler, P. (27 November 2013) ‘Will council crisis funds lat the winter?’, The Guardian

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3.6 Accessing work review

17 October 2013 The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee invited a number of key external partners to the review of benefits and poverty:

• Jon Dunn (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Graham Metcalfe (Department for Work and Pensions)

• Gail Dunn (Abbey Access Centre)

• Mike Hoyer (Lincoln College)

• Claire Hughes (Lincolnshire County Council project manager for the Employment and Skills Board)

• Jane Newman (City of Lincoln Council)

• Lorraine Palmer (Birchwood Access and Training Centre)

• Martin Walmsley (Benefits, City of Lincoln Council)

• James Wilkinson (Policy, City of Lincoln Council) Officers also met with each external partner after scrutiny to explore some of the issues raised in more detail. The outcomes from these discussions are included in the text below. James Wilkinson, Policy and Strategic Information Officer, City of Lincoln Council The worklessness rate has remained consistently above both regional and national rates. Between Quarter 2 of 2008 (the start of the UK recession), and Quarter 1 of 2009, the number of workless residents increased by 17.7%. This was an increase of 1,360 people in real-terms, leading to a total of 9,030 experiencing worklessness in Lincoln. The number of workless people peaked in Quarter 1 of 2010 at 9,380, and has since remained marginally below this number, with latest figures showing 8,830 people experiencing worklessness in Lincoln in Quarter 1 of 2013. Of the people experiencing worklessness in Quarter 1 of 2013, 49.0% were out of work due to illness or disability, followed by 36.8% who were out of work due to unemployment. Lincoln has a disproportionately high rate of illness and disability claimants, and unemployment claimants, than both the region and country. We know that certain areas of the city experience higher rates of worklessness than other areas, with areas of Glebe, Abbey, Park, Moorland and Birchwood all experiencing relatively high levels. Graham Metcalfe, Employment Team Manager & Health Advisory Manager, and John Dunn, Jobcentre Manager, Department for Work and Pensions There may be a conversion of Lincoln’s Jobcentre Plus office into a digital office of the future. This would mean a move from predominantly telephone

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access to predominantly online access. The preferred method is for claimants to make claims online, although there are staff available at Jobcentre Plus to assist people with using computers. Jobcentre Plus provides a number of services:

• Feeding Britain’s Future – An introduction for under 25’s to the food industry, there had been in excess of 100 places for the initiative

• Wage incentive – A fixed amount of money was available to the employer to help take on young people. 70-80 people had been recruited through this method

• Work Experience – There had been a 30% conversion rate into employment. This was to establish a work ethic primarily in the young.

• Health Advisory Services – This involved capability assessment to explore the potential for people to move back into work.

• Key workers go into households and work with families to tackle the problem of third generation unemployment. This is a multi-agency approach.

• JCP have a Flexible Support Fund that can be used to breakdown barriers to employment their clients may have (e.g. bike from Argos, interview clothes from Matalan, birth certificate, fuel to help people drive to work until payday etc.) – the JCP is invoiced.

• There is also a ‘travel to interview’ scheme to help people with the cost of getting to their interview.

It must be noted that this support is available to JCP clients only. It was noted that claimants up to the age of 24, if not employed after 9 months, were referred to the work programme, if over 25 they were referred after 12 months. The work programme is a scheme where providers helped claimants into sustained work. These providers have their own criteria to give out grants, and have different support to what the JCP offer. They also explored three key challenges people face:

1. Time delays in the issue of benefits: when Universal Credit comes in, this will be a real-time system and remove delays.

2. The cost of travel in the county: Stagecoach and Jobcentre Plus have been working together to offer half price bus travel to eligible people.

3. The cost of travelling to an interview: An application can be made to Jobcentre Plus in advance of a journey to an interview. If this was appropriate, then the travel cost to the interview could be paid.

Mike Hoyer, Guidance Team Leader, Lincoln College There is a large course take-up with approximately 12,000 students enrolled at Lincoln College per annum, with approximately 1,000 of these enrolled on programmes for the unemployed, approximately 800 enrolled on a 16-18 year old apprenticeship programme, and 1,500 enrolled on a 19+ year old apprenticeship programme. They have an above average success rate of 84% for 2012/13 (national average 81%), and less than a 3% spread in

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success rates across a range of groups (such as socioeconomic background / sex / ethnicity / type of study). There is childcare available for students. This is provided free for student parents aged under 20. Help with childcare costs is also provided for low income students aged 20+. The key challenges are around ensuring students know what financial support is available, and who local providers of childcare are. Mike Hoyer mentioned a number of opportunities for partners to work more together, included providing forums for providers to contribute to, developing strategy groups looking at specific needs, and the possibility of group contract provision. Some challenges, such as conflicting priorities, may need to be overcome. Free school meals are currently unavailable to college students, which has subsequent impact on students not being able to get support with their transport to college. The cost of the mega-rider ticket is considered high for people in poverty. It is estimated approximately 55% of Lincoln College pupils would be eligible for free school meals, showing a concentration of low income young people are the college. Lorraine Palmer, Centre Manager, Birchwood Access and Training Centre There are a number of challenges people face whilst acclimatising to income changes from benefits to salary:

• Travelling to work can be a problem, with people sometimes having to catch two buses to get to work which is expensive

• Often people did not have suitable clothing and the equipment needed for them to start work

• The availability and cost of childcare Issues around funding were noted, and she expressed concern that whilst BATC would continue to provide support for as long as possible, should the numbers of people requiring support with skills, as well as access to It support continue to increase, they may not be able to meet the need. Additionally, although BATC provides career advice for the Priory Academy, the key problem is tracking young people once they left school. People are encouraged to apply for as many jobs as possible, but many lack basic skills. There are three main types of skills lacking:

1. Basic reading 2. Basic writing 3. Basic IT skills

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There is not much provision in the city for people to get help with these very basic skills (e.g. supporting people with practicing reading and writing – Lincoln College do offer basic skills courses but do not have the resources to just listen to people read). Additionally, there are not many places where people can just ‘drop by’ to use a computer. There is some funding available for large organisations, which presents a requirement for small organisations such as BATC to club together and collectively bid for this funding. BATC and partners are encouraging the LEP to apply for funding on their behalf, and then to pass funding down to smaller organisations. Additionally, many community organisations are unaware of what funding opportunities are out there, and how they can apply for funding. A need for furniture was highlighted amongst both social tenants and voluntary organisations. For example, if useable furniture is left in a council house (or RSL properties) when a tenant is vacated, what happens to this furniture? Additionally, when office furniture is no longer needed, what happens to it? Loan sharks are an increasing problem, as is informal lending from family, friends and neighbours, which can lead to community issues and tensions when not repaid. Gail Dunn, Project Manager, Abbey Access Centre There are some common issues people faced when looking for jobs, including:

• Not enough credit on their mobile phones to make telephone calls to enquire about jobs

• Transport issues - for example expensive fares or no buses that fit in with shift patterns

• Provision of protective equipment needed for certain jobs

• Some people did not have clothing suitable for interviews or have the money to buy new clothes

• People who were unemployed could not afford broadband to look for work on the internet

• Stamps, paper and printer cartridges were expensive and often needed when applying for jobs

It was also noted that, when someone was offered a job, they sometimes panicked about being cut off benefits for the following reasons:

• Zero hours contracts

• How would they manage in the time between benefits stopping and the first payday

• Coping with work

• Confusion about Tax Credits

• Worried about paying back loans that were dormant when unemployed

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There is also a wide range of personal issues people face such as:

• Debt – the biggest issue many people face – made worse by money owed to high interest rate companies

• Mental health

• Drug / alcohol dependency

• Relationship breakdown

• Debt

• Lack of health eating

• Homelessness

• Self esteem issues In addition, a barrier for some young people entering onto an apprenticeship scheme was that they tended to pay a small amount of money, which was insufficient if they lived alone. Jane Newman, Work Based Learning Manager, City of Lincoln Council A recent document entitled “Youth Employment in Lincoln City” provided details of a study on the barrier to employment for young people between the ages of 16 and 24. The key barriers found in the study included:

• Homelessness

• Drugs

• Mental Health

• Debt

• Loss of benefits for parents

• Work ethic in the family home

• Support from home

• Financial backing

• Lack of career aspiration Most young people want to work, but there is a need for more work to be done to engage them e.g. via social media, and using current apprentices to help recruit new apprentices. These help break down barriers and make the process more accessible. The ‘One Stop Shop’ was noted as a key project– this is due to be opened in Lincoln city centre. It combines a mixture of old and new approaches. People will be able to receive face to face support in a café style premises, whilst also having support with using innovative social computing techniques. Clare Hughes, Employment and Skills Board Project Manager, Lincolnshire County Council The majority of the 5,000 businesses in Lincoln are small to medium employers, with a huge number employing less than five staff. Many local businesses have difficulties recruiting which is expensive.

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Career advice for some young people does not match job availability in the local economy. Many organisations, including schools, use national statistics on job vacancies to plan their lessons. This information, provided by Jobcentre Plus, only includes a proportion of available vacancies, and therefore does not give an accurate picture of available jobs in Lincoln. Local research suggests about 20% of people are not well prepared for work. What this means is varied, e.g. young people both being prepared for real working life (e.g. 37 hour weeks, turning up on time, acceptable customer service, taking person telephone calls in working hours), attitude (lack of interest), lack of knowledge, lack of ability to apply knowledge they learned at college. There are some growing job opportunities in Lincolnshire in the following growth sectors:

• Food manufacturing

• Engineering

• Visitor economy / hospitality There is an issue with some jobseekers not being aware of the variety of roles in some industries, and therefore they do not consider them when looking for a job / career. Partner forums are a useful way to bring partners together, but there are already many partner meetings and groups that, although do not broadly cover the whole topic of worklessness, do focus on specific elements. These existing partnership groups and meetings would be useful to tap into.

Issues identified

• College students unaware of available childcare support

• There is a lack of funding for English Language courses for migrants. Costs are now being put on students, leading to a very low take up rate.

• Sudden ill health (mental or physical) can lead to unemployment and money problems – but traditional family networks that have in the past helped in this situations, are struggling due to recession.

• Debt is one of the biggest issues people face, especially money owed to high interest rate companies.

• Providing additional career development training for employees can be very expensive for organisations.

• Coaching for people learning to read and write is needed

• There are not many publicly accessible computers in the city where people can just ‘drop in’ and use for job searches, benefits applications etc.

• There is a need for basic skills courses to be provided out of hours

• Transport is expensive, and existing support with costs deemed inaccessible

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• A ‘back to the floor’ scheme for managers would help raise awareness over what the current issues are.

• There is a need for old office furniture amongst voluntary sector organisations, and an opportunity to make links with large organisations when they dispose of furniture.

• There is a need for cheap home furniture – what do social landlords do with useable furniture that has been left in properties?

• Financial education is a key need – some organisations such as Barclay’s Bank provide financial education

• Lack of grant awareness amongst local organisations

• GP signposting is a vital tool for joining up services, but levels of partnership working with GPs is currently very low.

• Some grants are only available to large organisations, creating an opportunity for collective bidding.

• Loan sharks are an issue in the city that needs tackling.

• JCP provide a lot of support through their Flexible Support Scheme to their clients – are clients accessing other services connecting with this? Do partners understand the support available?

• There is a need for JCP work experience placements for JSA clients

• How can we support young peoples’ expectations to encourage them to be realistic regarding what jobs to apply for?

• How can we encourage lower transport costs for college students?

• How can we support young people with criminal records into education and employment?

• More facilitation to bring employers and schools together

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3.7 Child poverty and education review

14 November 2013 The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee invited a number of key external partners to the review of benefits and poverty:

• Tina Haux (University of Lincoln)

• Rebecca Allen (Children’s Services, Lincolnshire County Council)

• Andrew McLean (Children’s Services, Lincolnshire County Council)

• Jon Hird (Children’s Centres, Lincolnshire County Council)

• Mary Williams (Chad Varah Primary School)

• James Wilkinson (Policy, City of Lincoln Council) Officers also met with partners outside the review, whose input is included in the information below:

• Kerry Mitchell (Barnardo’s)

• Cornelia Andrecut (Children’s Centres, Lincolnshire County Council) A written response was also provided by:

• Andrew Madge (Priory Witham Academy) Officers also met with each external partner after scrutiny to explore some of the issues raised in more detail. The outcomes from these discussions are included in the text below. Tina Haux, Lecturer of Social Science, University of Lincoln It is estimated that 17% of children in the UK are living in relative poverty before housing costs, and 27% are living in relative poverty after housing costs. The UK has a similar proportion of children at risk from poverty as the EU average. The East Midlands has one of the lowest rates of child poverty amongst all English regions, but within the East Midlands, Lincoln has one of the highest rates of relative child poverty. The majority (67%) of children in poverty across the UK live in workless households, and 43% live in lone parent households. However, it should be noted that work is not necessarily a route out of poverty, with many children in poverty also living in working households. There is an interplay of several factors associated with child poverty, including parental ill health, parental stress, poor housing, inability for children to engage with their peers, and bullying of children. It is more expensive to be in poverty if you are a lone parent. It is more difficult to run a household, as there are no shared resources. Only a third of single parents get maintenance paid to them regularly.

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There is also a stigma attached to being in poverty, and children can be left out from normal social activities for not wearing the right shoes and decreased participation in activities. James Wilkinson, Policy and Strategic Information Officer, City of Lincoln Council There are approximately 4,500 children living in low income families in Lincoln, accounting for 24% of all children. This puts Lincoln amongst the highest 20% of districts for child poverty in the country. Rates of children living in low income families is highest in certain areas of the city, with approximately one third of children in Glebe, Moorland and Birchwood living in relative child poverty. There is evidence of different educational outcomes in Lincoln as well, with KS4 children eligible for free school meals more likely to have lower attainment, and more likely to be absent from school, than their more affluent peers. Rebecca Allen, Commissioning Officer, Lincolnshire County Council; and Andrew McLean, Commissioning Manager, Lincolnshire County Council The current Lincolnshire County Council Child Poverty Strategy is being revised to include a new action plan. The action plan has been agreed and is due to be published in the next few weeks. One of the key issues in the city is the take up of free school meals. Current take up ranges between 5% and 65% across the city, with eligible families still not signing up for it. The forecast for the pupil premium for next year is £1,300 per pupil claiming free school meals. Schools are doing a lot of work to encourage take up through menus, brochures, communication, finding ways to reduce stigmatism and avoid pupils being identified as eligible for free school meals. From 2014, every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will get free school meals, and free school meals could be extended to sixth form and college students. Currently, 134 schools across Lincolnshire offer breakfast clubs, some of these are funded through the pupil premium. Schools have reported that the impact of these clubs were improved engagement, behaviour and attainment. Lincolnshire County Council will continue to challenge schools on how they spend their pupil premium, raise awareness of gaps in attainment, and continue to support the Multiple Agency Vulnerable Persons Group. There are also a number of opportunities for partners to work together more, including working more closely with district councils to promote eligibility of

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free school meals, better signposting between agencies, and an agreement to be set to work together. Children in poverty can feel different, vulnerable, and sometimes do not participate in the activities their peers do. There are often long term affects as it erodes their self esteem, self worth, and their aspirations of what they want to do. Mary Williams, Deputy Head Teacher, Chad Varah Primary School There are 470 pupils on roll, with 176 children eligible for free school meals, 130 children on the special needs register, 3 children with statements, 67 children at school action plus, and 60 at school action. There are many complex issues that affect children from poorer backgrounds. Mental health problems are becoming more prominent, many parents are young and inexperienced in parenting skills, and some children just do not recognise the world of work as something that should be aimed for. In addition, the current financial climate is placing added pressures on households, some of whom are living in poor quality houses, and experience the effects of domestic violence. There is also, in some cases, a lack of IT facilities at home. Chad Varah does a lot to tackle child poverty, including providing IT equipment for pupils and their parents to use, life skills courses for parents, and employing a learning support assistant, a learning support mentor, a behaviour support mentor and a family support worker. There is some degree of frustration with Team Around the Child Meeting, and the Child in Need process, with it sometimes seeming cases are being closed at the earliest possible opportunity. The usefulness of neighbourhood boards was highlighted, and it was suggested that a similar body or forum could be set up where key professionals from various children and family based organisations could meet, exchange good practice, celebrate what is going well, and think collectively about areas that were causing concern. Children in poverty often do not meet their full potential. There is often a lack of positive experiences that assists a child in making progress with their learning. There have been cases where families have asked to borrow money because they have no heating. Families also ask for food, but often refuse to go to the Larder themselves. Schools like Chad Varah need to be kept in the loop of what is going on in the city, and if there are any funding opportunities, (they often find out about these too late).

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Jon Hird, Team Around the Child Co-ordinator, Lincolnshire County Council There are three children’s centres in the city located in the north, central and south. They were set up to offer early help to families and to prevent the escalation of problems. They also help to move workless families back into work, although this is not necessarily a route out of poverty. English and maths courses, along with parenting skills courses, are also provided. Lincolnshire County Council receives approximately 3,000 calls a month about children in Lincoln. Approximately 400-450 children are on the child protection plan and are at risk of harm. There is an ‘early year’s entitlement’ being offered to two year olds in very deprived areas to provide free childcare. Poverty is a huge causer of stress for adults. As poverty increases, it can cause depression, which makes adults and children socially isolated. Mental health issues are a significant feature in both Children in Need and Child Protection cases. Children’s Centres would welcome the involvement of Lincolnshire Mental Health Authority. Clinical Commissioning Groups are responsible for commissioning mental health services in Lincolnshire. There are a number of opportunities for closer working together including the development of a multi-agency board or forum, and for the Jobcentre Plus to work within the children’s centres to provide information points and better signposting arrangements. Cornelia Andrecut, Head of Service Locality, Lincolnshire County Council A multi-agency forum where people can present what they are doing would be really useful. There is statutory guidance for Lincolnshire County Council to work in an integrated way. This is already happening, but there is always more that can be done to achieve a co-ordinated approach. There is need for Jobcentre Plus advisors to operate from children’s centres. Discussions between Lincolnshire County Council and Jobcentre Plus are taking place, with the possibility of a future pilot. First, however, the children’s centres need to have wifi installed. This is being looked into. Another possibility is for births to be registered in children’s centres. This would help make birth registrations more accessible. This is something being encouraged by central government, and may happen in the future. Kerry Mitchell, Locality Manager, Barnardo’s Lincoln In Christmas 2012 Barnardo’s Lincoln gave out 62 food hampers to people from their leaving care service, this year they need 97 hampers – this is funded by a grant from national Barnardo’s. Key issues resulting in the need for food stem from benefit sanctions, cost of living increases, and young people not making food, accommodation or utilities a priority.

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Poverty can manifest itself in many different ways including low educational attainment, poor self-image due to lack of money, and rent arrears leading to homelessness, inability to rent elsewhere due to arrears, and difficulty getting a job or bank account due to lack of address. Causes of poverty include living in impoverished communities where there is a culture of unemployment, mental health and wellbeing, low ability to get work, benefits sanctions and fear of the JCP, no access to internet to search for jobs (‘Universal Job Search’), and lack of job opportunities mixed with high competition. Additionally, some young people choose not to help themselves, and require more in-depth specialist support. Services need to be aware of that, and alter their models to fit the models of young people, rather than expect young people to meet organisational models. Many services, such as work schemes, pay by results (getting people into work). They are broadly applied to meet the needs of ‘the many’, and not ‘the few’. They often serve those not too distant from the labour market, rather than helping those few (often care leavers) who are really disengaged with the labour market. Intensive support is needed for care leavers who tend to need more support than the bulk of people experiencing NEETs and unemployment. Additionally, there are not enough mental health services available in the city – often mental health impacts on poverty, and it’s not until someone’s mental health issue is supported, that their poverty issue can be helped. Transportation is also a significant barrier to many young people accessing education and employment – the ‘wheels to work’ scheme run by ‘Access Your Future’ supports with purchasing a moped, but the setup cost can often be circa £250. Barnardo’s pays this for their care leavers – but it represents a significant cost for others. They do signpost to the Flexible Support Grant run by the JCP. Potential solutions include:

• Potential for a Leaving Care Worker to be stationed at the One Stop Shop.

• Potential for a Forum of Partners to sit under, and feed into, the Lincolnshire Participation Action Group – which in turn feeds into the Health and Wellbeing Board (although this is a participatory forum and not the same as the forum proposed by other partners). Jose Bruce sits on the board of the Lincolnshire Participation Action Group.

• Mapping of COLC services by the ‘universal – targeted – specialist’ framework.

Andrew Madge, Head Teacher, Priory Witham Academy When considering the issue of child poverty and education, it is important not to generalise, and recognise that some pupil premium pupils perform

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extremely well and come from supportive and aspirational backgrounds. However, the information below is what is considered may be trends that could be associated with some pupil premium pupils and families. Key issues affecting children from poorer backgrounds include low aspirations and a lack of confidence in aspirational achievement. There may also be low importance placed on education at home, including increased frequency of safeguarding concerns (e.g. neglect), and increased frequency of lower quality parenting capacity – boundaries, routines etc. It is important to ensure that pupils have resources available in school should they require it (e.g. homework club) for when computer / internet access is not available at home. Hard-copies of revision material are provided if computer / internet access is unavailable at home. A greater issue might be a lack of appropriate space to study / do homework etc. There are opportunities for awareness to work together with regards to wider awareness of the services that are available to improve outcomes for pupil premium pupils. Additionally, a pupil premium forum or network between schools would be useful.

Issues identified

• High cost of school uniforms – is there a possibility for FSM children to receive uniforms at cost, or for schools to move away from embroidered logos on clothing.

• Potential for a Barnardo’s Leaving Care Worker to be stationed at the One Stop Shop.

• Potential for a Forum of Partners to sit under, and feed into, the Lincolnshire Participation Action Group – which in turn feeds into the Health and Wellbeing Board (although this is a participatory forum and not the same as the forum proposed by other partners).

• A number of partners raised a need for a ‘Child Poverty Forum’, held twice or three times a year (maybe fit in with long-term dates) would be a positive step forward. The type of invitees would include schools in deprived areas, social care (involved with education), LCC child psychologist rep, a social worker, children’s centres rep (Jon Hird), the Team Around the Child Co-ordinator etc. It would provide an opportunity for partners / schools to go and ask questions / discuss issues etc. Getting people in one room would create opportunities to share information, contacts and work closer together. This is something currently missing, with schools etc. not knowing who to speak to, and what is ‘going on’.

• A children’s-organisations newsletter identifying key things happening in the city and funding opportunities for schools.

• Because parents often do not like to (and therefore do not) attend Larders / Food Banks, it would be useful for schools to be able to collect food parcels on behalf of parents. This would increase take-up for those families that need it. Chad Varah would be happy to collect, would distribute only to those in need, and would give the details of the client to

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the larder – but they are unaware if they can do this. They have a relationship with St. Giles ‘tinnies’ – but they are small and do not have the capacity.

• Heating was identified as an issue – link with LCAS for provision of emergency heating vouchers.

• There are opportunities for awareness to work together with regards to wider awareness of the services that are available to improve outcomes for pupil premium pupils.

• Low take-up of free school meals

• Low self-esteem and aspirations amongst free school meal pupils

• Parents lacking IT skills

• Demand for childcare placements outstrips supply

• Need for Lincolnshire Mental Health Authority involvement in Children’s Centres

• Need for Jobcentre Plus to work with Children’s Centres to provide information points and better signposting arrangements

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3.8 Health review

19 December 2013 The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee invited a number of key partners to the review of benefits and poverty:

• Jo Blackwell (Healthy Lifestyles, City of Lincoln Council)

• Marijke Chamberlain (Healthy Eating, Lincolnshire County Council)

• Simon Colburn (Lincoln Health and Wellbeing Partnership)

• Peta Hill (Lincolnshire Carers and Young Carers)

• Pauline Mountain (Lincolnshire Carers and Young Carers)

• Teresa Roche (Public Health, Lincolnshire County Council)

• Martin Wilson (Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board)

• James Wilkinson (Policy, City of Lincoln Council) A written response was also provided by:

• Neil Clurow (Lincoln and District Citizens Advice Bureau) James Wilkinson, Policy and Strategic Information Officer, City of Lincoln Council Recent data shows the extent of health issues in the city. Nearly 10% of Lincoln’s population have their day-to-day activities limited due to long-term health issues and disabilities. Castle, Minster, Abbey, Moorland and Birchwood are hotspots for this. There are also a significant number of unpaid carers living in the city. In addition, the percentage of ESA claimants for mental health and behavioural disorders is marginally higher in Lincoln than in Lincolnshire, the East Midlands and England. Martin Wilson, Lincolnshire Health and Wellbeing Board Advisor, Lincolnshire County Council The Board was established to encourage persons or groups who arranged for the provision of any health or social care services to work in an integrated manner. Its objectives are to provide strong leadership for the improvement of health and wellbeing, along with monitoring the implementation and performance of the ‘outcome’ targets defined in the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This strategy sets out the commissioning direction and priorities for the next five years for the Lincolnshire population. Teresa Roche, Assistant Directors of Public Health, Lincolnshire County Council There are significant health inequalities that the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is committed to reducing. For example, women in the most deprived areas of Lincolnshire die, on average, at least 17 years earlier than those in the least deprived, while men die, on average, 12 years earlier.

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GPs and practice staff deal with patients on a one-to-one basis to provide high quality healthcare. The GP practice is often the first place people go to for help and advice, which means they spend time addressing their social and wider care needs as well as health conditions. Specific gaps in service provision were identified as, access to affordable childcare, poor housing and/or difficulty addressing housing issues (including delays discharging homeless people from hospital as limited suitable provision is available in the city), unemployment and quality of employment, transport and isolation. It was noted that it is difficult to keep up to date on some of the community services on offer, therefore duplication could occur. The CCG is committed to working closer with stakeholders and the public, and this is reflected in the vision, mission and goals. The Making Every Contact Counts (MECC) scheme encourages people to make healthier choices and achieve positive long-term behavioural changes for better health and wellbeing. It uses the day-to-day contact practitioners have with service users to signpost them to services that cover stopping smoking, cutting down on alcohol, having a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and taking recommended levels of physical activity. Jo Blackwell, Healthy Lifestyles Team Leader, City of Lincoln Council The focus of the programme is to provide a community level resource for people to access advice and support to enable them to improve their health, with 2/3rds of people accessing services being from deprived communities. Mental health issues are a barrier for some people. The team does a lot of partnership work with external organisations. The potential for duplication has been reduced by having a clearer vision of what Public Health would like to provide. Peta Hill and Pauline Mountain, Lincolnshire Carers and Young Carers It is not clear how many carers are not claiming the benefits they are entitled to, as there are many hidden carers in Lincolnshire. Of known carers, only 5,000 of 79,000 carers in the county have a Carers Assessment. There is an issue with regard to the long waiting list for carers seeking support. National research shows 3/4th of carers are worse off since their caring role began. Child carers face difficulties in accessing education, and often have poor academic achievements, which lead to lack of employment opportunities. They often have poor access to transport, and because of their caring role, have sporadic attendance at school. Additionally, many carers (adults included) are not aware what help is available. Carers’ benefits amount to approximately £60 for 35 hours of caring per week, less than £2 an hour. The caring role can lead to lack of sleep, poor diet and, poor quality of life.

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A more holistic approach is required to support carers looking for financial support and/or benefits advice as the whole picture is not taken into account when assessments are made. Marijke Chamberlain, Programme Co-ordinator, Lincolnshire County Council Programmes of practical cooking sessions, courses in healthy eating, and workshops are on offer. Community growing schemes have also been set up in Lincoln. Courses are put on for hard to reach client groups in areas of deprivation, including working with Addaction (for people with substance misuse issues), LEAP (young people just come out of care), Probation Service (ex-offenders), AGE UK (older people), Chad Varah Primary School (parents who need support) and those with mental health issues. There are a number of gaps in service provision, including the need for services to be promoted to CCGs, family focused sessions, links with weight watchers, links with food banks, resources to clear some available sites for use in the scheme, and venues for cooking sessions as current ones are often too small or too costly. Simon Colburn, Assistant Director – Health and Environment Services, City of Lincoln Council / Lincoln Health and Wellbeing Partnership The priorities of the partnership are to make lifestyles healthier, to address underlying determinants of health, and to improve the health and wellbeing of older people and the health of children in poverty. Health trainers have an important role to play in embedding and influencing healthy lifestyles. A Fit Kids programme has also been devised to address some of the issues experienced by young people and children in poverty. There are gaps in service provision due to limited resources across all agencies, meaning uneven provision, access to technology, support for volunteers, budgeting skills, and low level mental health support. There is some duplication regarding community facilities, and better use of them could be made. Some additional things could also be done, including tapping into the social and volunteering potential of communities, facilitating better access to green spaces, delivering better affordable private sector housing, and better use of community growing in green spaces. Neil Clurow, Chief Officer, Lincoln and District Citizens Advice Bureau Poverty and mental health are linked. Whilst mental health cuts through all sections of society, those in poverty are less able to manage their mental health and more likely to require statutory or voluntary sector intervention. Most CAB clients with mental health and learning disabilities find it difficult to navigate through the complex benefits system. Since the loss of Legal Aid for

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welfare benefits, there is a massive gap in the supply of welfare benefits advice, and it is the most vulnerable who feel the greatest loss. A positive outcome of the review would be an evaluation of what services the City of Lincoln Council funds that supports this area of work, and establish clear and realistic priorities on how that funding can be best used to improve the lives of the client group and meet the set priorities. An example of this might be ensuring every mental health service user can access advice and support with welfare benefits, housing and budgeting advice. Acquiring and sustaining housing is a major issue for mental health service users, especially single persons. Support is out there, e.g. YMCA, Framework, NACRO etc, and the CAB signpost clients with mental health issues on a regular basis but there appears to be no central point of collecting data of how successful those outcomes are. There is a concern this group is simply recycled around the various services without anyone ever knowing what long-term outcomes are achieved. The CAB is concerned about a mechanism to monitor outcomes and building knowledge of what works with regard to improving people’s lives and health. However, they would not like to see funds and human resources directed away from service delivery in order to establish referral and monitoring mechanisms.

Issues identified

• How can we encourage GP signposting to advice providers, and make them aware of services available?

• How can the MECC scheme signpost to advice providers?

• How can more affordable childcare be made available?

• There are delays in discharging homeless people from hospital due to limited suitable provision in Lincoln.

• There are long waiting lists for carers seeking support– potential from drop-off.

• Child carers face difficulties in accessing education, and often have poor academic achievements – how can schools identify child carers?

• There is an opportunity for the LCC Healthy Eating and Growing Team to make links with local emergency food parcel providers to provide recipes and advice etc.

• Resources needed to clear available sites to make them free for healthy growing initiatives

• Healthy eating cooking sessions are often held in too small, or too costly venues.

• There is a gap for tapping into the social and volunteering potential of communities.

• There is a need to help people with mental health and learning disabilities who may find it difficult to navigate through the complex benefit system.

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3.9 Housing review

23 January 2014 The Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee invited a number of key partners to the review of benefits and poverty:

• Alex Ray (Longhurst Group)

• Dave Bowskill (Energy Efficiency, City of Lincoln Council)

• Simon Colburn (Private Housing, City of Lincoln Council)

• Tim Whitworth (Housing, City of Lincoln Council) Alex Ray, Director of Operational Services, Longhurst Group Poverty manifests itself in many different ways, such as inability to pay rent, struggling to pay to heat the home leading to condensation and damp (affecting health), expensive pre-payment meters due to utility debt, debt problems resulting from high interest lending as well as illegal loan sharks, and a subsequent impact on exclusion from financial products and services. Longhurst undertake a range of activities to tackle debt and financial inclusion, and also engage with partners to deliver some of these. There are some key gaps in service provision (concerning all partners). There is no single point of access for referral / assessment, and a lack of co-ordination of services more generally. There is also a need for more debt advice – it can be difficult for tenants to get appointments with the Citizens Advice Bureau. There are a number of different organisations providing financial education, budgeting and/or debt advice, but this is not a case of duplication – there is a significant need. It is more a need for co-ordination, and the need for a single point of access for referral / assessment. There are existing forums to work together in, including the Local Support Services Framework, and the Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Partnership. There are also opportunities to try to influence energy suppliers regarding the hiked up costs for tenants using pre-payment meters. There needs to be increased use of preventative services – even where provided it is difficult to persuade people to access preventative services. We need to try and prevent people getting into debt, but even where preventatives services are provided, pilots of shown there is difficulty in getting people to access them. Dave Bowskill, Regeneration Officer, City of Lincoln Council Fuel poverty is caused primarily by the combined effects of energy inefficient housing, low incomes, high costs for domestic fuel, and under-occupancy of homes. Income is a key factor in understanding fuel poverty. With the continued recession, it is not just households with an income of below 60% of

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the median income that are considered to be living in poverty. Households now have less income security and are experiencing increases in the cost of living, which means that many are reporting difficulties paying for fuel. Domestic energy prices have risen by approximately 150% in the past ten years. Prices for fuels other than mains gas are even higher, with households off the mains gas network often paying over £2,000 per annum to keep their homes warm. Fuel poverty is an issue across social rented, private rented, and owner occupier houses. In 2010, when Lincolnshire’s Affordable Warmth Strategy was written, energy advice was provided to Lincolnshire residents by the East Midlands Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre. Funding for the UK’s network of local energy advice centres has since been discontinued, and a centralised Energy Saving Advice Service has been set up instead, in conjunction with the Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation. Local energy and fuel poverty advice provision, especially for vulnerable households, now falls to local authorities, local charities and other agencies. It is assess that between £7.5 and £12.3 billion of benefits were unclaimed in Great Britain in 2009/10. Based on current population estimates, this equates to between £85 million and £139 million of unclaimed benefits in Lincolnshire. Unclaimed benefits mean households have less income with which to heat their home, and may not be claiming the benefits that would entitle them to energy efficiency schemes such as the Energy Company Obligation. Another key impact of fuel poverty is fuel debt. When this strategy was originally written in 2010, the average fuel debt was £114. Now figures from Ofgem indicate that the average debt for electricity is £354, whilst the average debt for gas is £377. Fuel poverty should not therefore be considered in isolation, as they may be suffering from other debt. Simon Colburn, Assistant Director – Health and Environment Services, City of Lincoln Council There are over 8,000 private rented properties, and the city council’s approach is to react to complaints, to licence the higher risk properties, and to otherwise promote better standards through education and accreditation. The student accreditation scheme is based on self accreditation. A perceived gap in the service is the lack of a regular proactive inspection. Lincolnshire fire and rescue does undertake a visit to all accredited properties, and Lincoln University has engaged a member of staff to visit all properties, so step shave been taken to cover this gap. The largest gap in our activity is in relation to proactive visits of all private rented property. To actually seek out poor accommodation, prevent complaints, and reduce demand made upon the Property Shop. It would also reduce the likelihood of retaliatory complaints as inspections will be seen to have been initiated by the council, and not have been in a response to a tenant complaint. Proactive inspections will help build intelligence on landlords

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and letting agents, on tenants and their vulnerability or otherwise and identify any licensable HMOs which are not so licensed. There is a possible gap in the matter of tenancy relations and protection from eviction. Tenants can often be advised to approach CAB or Shelter for advice, and more might be achieved through closer work between the Private Sector Housing Team, the Property Shop, and an approach based on negotiation and advice, rather than discharge of statutory duty. We currently have no active programme of informing and educating tenants in respect of their rights, risks and responsibilities. There are also some potential cases of duplication. The Private Housing Team and the Homelessness Team might both be responding to the same case. There are opportunities for shared intelligence and co-ordinated actions. The Fire and Rescue team also risk assess rented accommodation on a proactive basis. These can be houses where the city council is actively engaged. Additionally, the Private Housing Team makes home visits to some of the poorest homes. There could be greater links with benefits advice to help identify households not maximising benefit claims, or in need of support where in debt. Tim Whitworth, Assistant Director – Housing, City of Lincoln Council A key consequence of poverty is rent arrears. Housing Officers have worked one-to-one with people in arrears, and this has helped to help them, and reduce their arrears. However, arrears have still increased recently. Welfare reform has played a big part in this, particularly as a result of the Spare Room Subsidy. In November, they had 3,706 tenants in arrears, and 3.8% debt. There were 727 under-occupying tenants in arrears, and total arrears stood at over £1million – just below £200,000 of arrears came from under-occupiers. There is significant support for new tenants. New tenants are now visited within three weeks instead of six weeks. New tenants are also supported with opening a Jam Jar account with Lincolnshire Credit Union. This involves a £10 incentive deposit paid by the City of Lincoln Council, to encourage saving. There are issues with the availability and the affordability of soft furnishings. There is a space made available for Trent View tower block that stores useable, left-behind second-hand furniture from outgoing tenants, but this facility is only available for Trent View. There would be benefit in rolling this out wider.

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Issues identified

• Tackle pre-payment meters

• Promote energy efficiency

• Challenge illegal loan sharks

• Support people being financially included in products and services

• There is a need for a single point of access for referral and assessments

• There is a need for more debt advice due to long waiting lists

• There is a need for increased supply of preventative advice services, as well as encouraging take-up of this, which is traditionally low – but still required

• Reduce level of unclaimed benefits

• Co-ordinate agencies that access peoples’ homes

• Citywide accreditations scheme

• More partnership between the Private Housing Team and Property Shop to avoid eviction where possible

• There is a lack of legal advice for tenants on their rights

• Greater links needed between Benefits Advice and the Private Housing Team to bring debt advice to people struggling

• There is a need for soft furnishings in the city, and better / more co-ordinated use of left over furnishings

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4. Issues for exploration at the Lincoln Poverty Conference The issues identified throughout the scrutiny phase of this work, summarised below, were explored at the Anti-Poverty Conference. A number of other issues picked up from the review were explored internally, with relevant actions appearing the Anti-Poverty Action Plan. The Lincoln Poverty Conference had six morning workshops running concurrently, and six afternoon workshops running concurrently. The morning workshops were topic based (low income, child poverty, older person poverty, worklessness, housing and health). The afternoon was run differently. Instead of being topic based, the afternoon workshops were based on a customers ‘journey’ from emergency support (e.g. grants and food parcels), to capacity support (e.g. debt and benefits advice), to development support (e.g. fuel poverty and health). Not only did the afternoon workshops allow different mixes of partners to work together than in the morning, but it also allowed for discussions around improving signposting and linkages between services and organisations, to ensure people were given the support they needed in a holistic fashion.

4.1 Morning workshop topics

Low Income and Poverty workshop

How can preventative advice be improved or increased, and how can public engagement levels be increased? Can welfare and money advice be better coordinated? e.g.

• Partner led out of hour’s advice provision.

• Is there potential for coordinated take-up campaigns?

• Training standards / shared training?

• Improved information, signposting and online data? Is there potential to develop a Community Shop / bulk-buy scheme, or formalise a 50p man locally? What are the current options for affordable credit? e.g.

• Can the options be expanded?

• How can we better market the options?

• Is there more work to do on loan sharks? What is the public awareness level for discretionary and charity payments? e.g.

• DHPs / Charities / The Lincoln Municipal Relief in Need charity / SSAFA / British Legion etc.

• What can be done to improve awareness and take-up?

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How can the market kitchen be best utilised?

Worklessness and Poverty workshop How can we support people access work? e.g.

• Increasing awareness of affordable childcare for college students and those seeking to get into work

• Improving awareness of the DWP Flexible Support Grant

• Lobbying for lower transportation costs low income people accessing work and education

• Supporting people with criminal records into education and employment

• Better matching of people to jobs, and managing expectations

• All partners committing to the Works Experience programme? How can we further support people to gain basic skills? e.g.

• Increasing coaching for people learning to read and write, and develop their IT skills

• Partners providing outreach at Children’s Centres How can we provide a flexible service to customers? e.g.

• DWP using flexibility when applying sanctions

Health and Poverty workshop How can improve partnership working with GPs? e.g.

• Increasing GP knowledge of partner agencies

• Increasing GP signposting to partner agencies How can people with mental health problems be supported further? e.g.

• Mental health services signposting to financial advice

• Supporting those with mental health issues to navigate the benefits system How can the negative psychological impact of poverty be tackled? How can we further support carers? e.g.

• Extending support to carers through partnership working to help mitigate the risks of poverty

All partners implementing ‘carers’ tests for future policy and benefit proposals to support access

Child Poverty workshop How can we help children participate in school life? e.g.

• Encouraging non-embroidered school uniforms

• Encouraging shops to provide free school meal children with cost price school shoes / clothes

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• Schools providing free or reduced price school uniforms for pupil premium children

• Increasing self-esteem and aspirations amongst free school meal pupils

• Using pupil premium to subsidise school trips How can we support low-income families? e.g.

• Schools signposting / referring parents to support organisations

• Free school meals

• Basic skills classes for parents How can we support child carers in partnership? e.g.

• Partners joining up to support child carers How can we further support each other? e.g.

• Share good practice e.g. innovative use of pupil premium

Older Person Poverty workshop How can we increase awareness of, and access to, services? e.g.

• Utilise contact points such as City Hall with regards to Blue Badge collection and Bus Pass collection

• Raise awareness of, and support for, the Lincolnshire Advice Network How can ‘Making Every Contact Count’ make stronger links with more organisations? How can partners support each other with high demand for advice services by older people? e.g.

• Single assessment

• Single points of contact

• Training for frontline officers in partner agencies How can we provide financial education to older people facing poverty? How can we challenge the stigma of claiming benefits?

Housing and Poverty workshop How can we increase awareness of the support available? e.g.

• Improving access to affordable housing information for all people (e.g. which landlords accept Housing Benefit claimants)

• Better joining up of different services that visit peoples’ homes

• Credit rating – financial inclusion How can we support cheaper energy bills? e.g.

• Promoting further energy efficiency measures

• Jointly promoting Collective Switching

• Tackling pre-payment meters

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• Considering new ways of tackling fuel poverty and shared learning What can we do to challenge other causes and effects of poverty? e.g.

• Tackling poor quality housing in the private sector together

• Offering cash incentives for under occupiers to downsize

• Setting up a Social Lettings Agency in the city to provide people with help and support in accessing social housing

4.2 Afternoon workshop topics

Workshop A

Emergency: How can agencies link and further support food parcel providers? e.g.

• LCAS providing energy vouchers along with food parcels

• Partners supporting food parcel providers to meet increasing demand

• Rolling-out suspended coffees / sandwiches scheme (linking to local food parcel charities) for local independent cafés

• Library fine scheme linking to food parcel charities

• Partners providing services from the food parcel providers base to combat drop-off rates

Emergency: How can emergency support be given to people where it is not available through LCAS? e.g. Carpets, school uniforms, removal costs, rental deposits, payments of bills in arrears Capacity: What more could we do to tackle expensive debt issues? e.g.

• Further anti-loan shark campaigning across all partner agencies

• Banning pay day lenders from advertising on premises, operating from premises, and advertising over company Wifi

• Engaging with charities such as Step Change for locality working

• Challenging aggressive marketing of payday lending companies and doorstep lenders

• Increase provision of financial advice Development: What more can we do to support the voluntary sector that provides services to people in poverty? e.g.

• Donating surplus officer furniture

• Promoting grant awareness Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Overarching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

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Workshop B

Emergency: How can we make the essentials for a comfortable home more accessible? e.g.

• Social landlords re-distributing useable furniture that has been left in properties

• Promoting affordable purchasing options e.g. second hand shops, or saving to purchase as opposed to buying from weekly payment stores

Capacity: How do we ensure people on low pay and in work still gain access to advice? e.g.

• Providing telephone advice services

• Providing out of hours advice

• Benchmarking quality of advice provided in the city with Money Advice Service quality standards

Capacity: What are the options now the rules concerning Legal Aid have been tightened? Capacity: How can we dispel negative myths around information advice? e.g.

• Reassuring clients that signposting is a positive thing Development: What more can we do to equip people with the basic skills to improve their life? e.g.

• Developing and signposting to entry level courses for people aged 18+

• Providing more out of hours basic skills courses

• Increasing public accessible ‘drop in’ computers for job searches, benefit applications etc.

• Increasing ICT capabilities of some customers Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Over-arching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

Workshop C Emergency: In what ways could we further improve the efficiency of the food parcel network? How could other partners support this? e.g.

• Developing the ‘Fair Share’ distribution centre

• Co-ordinating food parcel charities

• Schools collecting food parcels on behalf of parents who feel stigmatised

• Partners supporting food parcel providers to help meet increasing demand


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• Library fine scheme to linking to food parcel charities Emergency: How can emergency support be given to people where it is not available through LCAS? e.g. Carpets, school uniforms, removal costs, rental deposits, payments of bills in arrears Capacity: What role could we all play in mitigating the move to online service provision? e.g.

• Supporting vulnerable clients who need face to face support

• Supporting people to ‘get online’ Capacity: Conversely, how can we maximise the use of social media? e.g. Creating and publicising services using social media and SMS Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Over-arching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

Workshop D Emergency: How can we make the essentials for a comfortable home more accessible? e.g.


• Promoting affordable purchasing options Capacity: How can we encourage people to save rather than borrow? e.g.

• Offering simple financial products

• Avoiding confusing financial terms

• Promoting regular saving patterns

• Working with VCS to deliver credit union services through other organisations

• Other partners supporting their clients opening a credit union account, and providing a small financial investment incentive (£10)

• Migrating people from basic / Jam Jar accounts to more transactional bank accounts once their financial capability has increased

• Increase provision of financial advice Development: How can we further encourage volunteering? e.g.

• Improving skills for employment

• Increasing self-confidence

• Supporting organisations

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Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Over-arching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

Workshop E

Emergency: How can we make the essentials for a comfortable home more accessible? e.g.


• Promoting affordable purchasing options Emergency: How can emergency support be given to people where it is not available through LCAS? e.g.

• Carpets, school uniforms, removal costs, rental deposits, payments of bills in arrears

Capacity: How can we support people whose lives’ are changed by ill health? e.g.

• Supporting someone when sudden ill health (physical or mental) causes, or is at risk of causing, unemployment / money problems

• Increasing support for those with mental health problems now some key services have been retracted

Capacity: What more can we do to support carers? e.g.

• Engage with carers organisations to provide information on energy efficiency

Development: How can we provide more services to people in their homes? e.g.

• Supporting people access information regarding affordable housing (e.g. which landlords accept Housing Benefit claimants)

• Better joining up of service providers that visit peoples’ homes Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Over-arching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

Workshop F Emergency: How can agencies link further with food parcel providers? e.g.

• LCAS providing energy vouchers along with food parcels

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• Partner supporting food parcel providers to meet increasing demand


• Library fine scheme linking to food parcel charities Capacity: How can we challenge high cost loans? e.g.

• Challenging the aggressive marketing and promotion of payday lending companies

• Increase provision of financial advice Capacity: How can we support young people into employment? e.g.

• Supporting young peoples’ expectations to encourage them to be realistic regarding what jobs to apply for

• More facilitation to bring employers and schools together

• Encouraging employers to recruit young people Capacity: How can we support people secure employment? e.g.

• Collectively supporting a move away from ‘zero hour contracts’ Capacity: What more can we do to promote healthy cooking on a budget? Over-arching: How can we improve the customer journey from emergency to development for all groups? Over-arching: Are there any other opportunities where we need to work together?

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5. Lincoln Poverty Conference 26 February 2014

1.1 Morning Workshop: Child Poverty

The conversation focused partly on the provision of food parcels in Lincoln. It was noted there is a complex web of provision, and although only a small number of organisations distribute food parcels, there are a number of unmapped referral agencies. Suggestions to support the networks of food parcel provision and referral in the city focused on:

• Developing a citywide forum for providers and referral agencies to meet and share best practice

• Mapping referral agencies

• Developing and implementing a single assessment for clients

• Schools to become referral agencies

• Ensuring toiletries are provided in food parcels

• Organisations to pick up the food parcels for their own clients

• Partner support for food parcel storage The workshop attendees also looked at how information on partner agencies could be increased to facilitate more effective signposting. It was widely agreed there is a lack of clarity, not just concerning what services partner agencies offer, but also who the partner agencies are. Suggestions to improve knowledge of partner agencies to facilitate client signposting included:

• Organisations with ‘contact databases’ to share these with partners

• Creating a directory of support information that everyone contributes to

• Ensuring schools have access to this information, as well as information of Pastoral Officers in other Lincoln schools (it was also noted that directories can fast go out of date, so an organisation could offer a signposting service instead)

• Ensuring all ‘emergency’ providers have up to date signposting and support information

• Increasing awareness of grants and other sources of money amongst partners

• Utilising access points such as children’s centres to deliver advice on maximising household income

The focus of the workshop then turned to how, collectively, we could increase support for children and families. A lot of the discussion focussed on how children and young people access school, but also how children and young people could be supported during the school holidays. Suggestions included:

• Schools to develop ‘family days’ to increase school engagement with parents, and seek a ‘knock on’ effect in terms of the aspiration of their children

• Schools and other organisations to provide a free holiday club, subsidised through the Pupil Premium (potentially supported by university student volunteers)

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• Increasing the number of free, or subsidised breakfast club opportunities, potentially with voluntary support from partner agencies (e.g. food voucher donations)

• Influencing transport organisations to offer concessionary rates before 09:00

• Encouraging organisations to provide subsidised childcare vouchers.

• All schools to give second hand uniforms for free. These could be made available at Parents’ Evenings.

• Reviewing necessary school P.E. equipment to avoid unnecessary purchases

• Schools to provide advice to parents on cheapest places to buy school uniforms (e.g. supermarkets vs. uniform-shops)

• Encouraging non-embroidered school uniforms

• Schools and partner agencies to provide sponsorship for children from low-income families to help with costs such as school uniforms

1.2 Morning Workshop: Older Persons

Workshop discussions initially explored the nature of older person poverty in the city, and that older person poverty was rarely high on most peoples’ agenda. Related to this, the challenge of making contact with older persons in poverty was noted. Suggestions to target support to older persons included:

• Using different marketing methods to increase information to older persons (co-ordinated by one organisation) e.g.

o Using the electoral role to target older persons o Sending out information with bus passes o Using radio advertisements o Using characteristic mapping and GIS to target older persons o Making the most upcoming WII anniversaries

In addition, it was recognised that many older people in Lincoln are already engaging with at least one partner agency. Opportunities to utilise this existing, albeit low level of engagement, were explored:

• Distributing information on services with council tax bills

• Advertising services on partner owned assets e.g. public conveniences

• Identifying and providing training / information for key ‘connectors’, e.g. Police / PCSOs, hairdressers, newsagents, council workmen; all who know older people in their area.

• Providing advice at key milestones in peoples’ lives, e.g. when a partner dies, banks are aware of this because they are provided with a death certificate. The council is also aware in respect of joint tenancies.

• Developing information cards about where to go for help and advice for recently bereaved partners

• Identifying ways to further promote First Contact, and developing a card for GP desks with referral details

• Developing a risk profile to help partners identify those at risk of becoming in crisis, in order to identify proactive support

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• Piloting ‘prescribing’ information leaflets with a GP practice in the centre of the city

• Exploring the opportunity for First Contact to have a monthly pop-up stand in Barclays Bank, and other high street banks

• Developing an ‘Older Person Partner Networking Group’

• Supporting older persons to fill out their Attendance Allowance form in hospital (along with broader benefits advice)

In addition, two key barriers to older people accessing the support they needed were highlighted. The first was the issue of pride, with many people not wanting to have to rely on the state for support. The second issue was the length of Attendance Allowance forms, which are, it was felt, excessively long. Suggestions to reduce these barriers included:

• Avoiding use of the term ‘benefits’ when advertising to older people

• Identifying and advertising monies for ex-service families – people might be more accepting of these

• Lobbying central government to improve Attendance Allowance forms

1.3 Morning Workshop: Accessing Work

The need for childcare was explored as a potential barrier to accessing work. It was discussed that it can often be inflexible, and have strict access criteria that some people are unable to meet. Potential solutions included:

• Lobbying central government for a change to free childcare provision

• Collating and advertising information on local, flexible childminders

• Key partners to raise awareness of childcare entitlement In addition, transport issues were considered a big blockage to accessing work. Some of the key solutions explored were:

• Encouraging transport companies to give concessions to young people in employment, and highlighting the long-term benefits of more people using the service

• Providing information on cheap transport options

• Improving bus routes to go to employment zones (instead of connections being in the city centre)

• Improving transportation routes on Sundays and nighttimes (to support those on shift patterns)

The issue of people leaving prison with little evidence of their identity was also explored. Potential actions included:

• Developing a centralised store of information that advises partners on the unique support they need to provide to prison leavers

• Encouraging prison employment advisors to also do community outreach work

• Providing housing and benefit advice surgeries in prisons for pre-release Accessibility of information and advice was also explored as a key issue for many people. Potential solutions were:

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• Developing free ‘conversational English’ classes instead of ESOL classes to improve take-up

• Increasing the level of coaching for people who need to go online and complete benefits / application forms

• Improving knowledge of what is available through Flexible Support Grants – there is a lack of consistency and knowledge about this among partners

• Developing careers advice that is directly influenced by the local availability of employment

• Increasing the amount of life-skills coaching (e.g. read and writing, personal hygiene, social interaction, developing a ‘work ethic’ etc.)

• Creating a local ‘you may be able to have this’ website to advertise entitlements

This workshop also explored the importance of work experience placements in giving people the necessary experience and skills to achieve employment. Some solutions explored were:

• Organisations having a page on their website signposting partners to available work experience placements for their clients

• Promoting the benefits of developing high skilled future employees through work experience placements

1.4 Morning Workshop: Low Income

This workshop looked at advice provision in the city. It is recognised the provision of advice in the city is widespread, with many organisations providing support to their clients (as a direct result of substantial need). Potential solutions to improving the network of advice provision in the city included:

• Providing benefits advice at housing surgeries and money advice / information via food parcel providers

• Developing an information pack on surgeries that could be distributed by councillors and food parcel providers

• Supporting an increase in the number of advisors available at Citizens Advice Bureau

• Training and material for councillors to distribute advice information

• Providing targeted advice through the use of marketing

• Utilising food parcel providers as an access point for advice provision

• Making the provision of Discretionary Housing Payments, and food parcels, conditional on the client taking up signposted advice

• Developing and advertising a register of volunteers in the city to help with day-to-day tasks such as transporting someone from A to B.

• Creating a network of advice services so all agencies understand what is available and what each other are doing

The workshop also looked at how assets could be utilised to provide more access to support for people on low incomes. Suggestions included:

• Developing a ‘one stop shop’ for advice in Lincoln

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• Social landlords to provide ‘tenant packs’ for new tenants, signposting to useful service providers

• Supporting the creation of a community shop with qualifying criteria for customers, extended best before dates, and use of residual stock and defective goods from elsewhere. It could also use surplus food grown in allotments and gardens. This would require proactively approaching the company that set up the community shop in Barnsley.

o Potential link community shop discounts to attendance of advice schemes

o Consideration of a ‘50p man’ scheme where small amounts of groceries could be sold at a cheap price – potentially in conjunction with a community shop

• Utilising the emerging Market Kitchen to target low-income families with children on weekends and during school holidays. These are times when they do not receive free school meals.

• Increasing the number of food parcel providers to meet geographically dispersed demand (with supply from existing providers)

Additionally, this workshop explored the issue of the availability of affordable credit in Lincoln. Ways to improve access to affordable credit, or reduce access to unaffordable credit, included:

• Financial capability education in schools (tapping into existing free provision of financial education provided by Barclays Bank and others)

• Training teachers to deliver financial life skills

• Restricting payday lender advertising on partner assets

• Promoting a Credit Union schools savings scheme

• Developing access points for affordable credit in housing estates

• Supporting the Credit Union with marketing (e.g. social media, word of mouth, city council communications and web teams)

• Supporting Trading Standards with local intelligence

• Social landlords and private landlords to provide information on loan sharks in tenants packs

• Developing ‘jam jar’ accounts with the Credit Union for partner clients

1.5 Morning Workshop: Housing

The significant demand for affordable homes was recognised. This is exacerbated given the changes made through welfare reform, with some households needing to downsize to a smaller property (matched with some households waiting to upsize for other reasons). Whilst building new houses fits outside the scope of the Anti-Poverty review, there are more short-term solutions:

• A ‘match and move’ scheme to facilitate house swapping / advertise housing transfer opportunities

• Returning empty homes to use

• Developing a social lettings agency in the city

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There are also many services that are available to households who may be in need of support. It is recognised that knowing what support is available, and accessing it, can be a very complex challenge. Therefore, the scope for improving information given to tenants, and access to financial products, to support their move into independent living, is crucial:

• Readying young people for tenancies

• Housing information hubs

• Private landlord licensing

• Financial education to encouraging people to save with the Credit Union for life events

• Credit rating scheme with Experian to give tenants a credit score – no need for consent, but tenants can opt out

In addition, it was noted there is room for more partnership working generally. There are many ways we can explore to further work together, and some of the potential solutions relating to this to come out of the workshop were:

• Developing a Lincoln Housing Operations Group to share good practice

• Co-ordinating agency support for troubled families

• Facilitating a Credit Union move to the city centre to improve access to affordable financial services

• Giving priority access to furniture re-distribution to signposted clients

1.6 Morning Workshop: Health

One of the key discussion points in the health workshop was around the level of signposting and advice for patients, either in or at risk of poverty, when they access GP services. Suggestions regarding this included:

• Developing Benefits Advice surgeries in GP surgeries

• GPs making more use of sending out mail to people at risk, and offering access to relevant schemes run by the voluntary sector

• Building on existing partner referral networks, e.g. mental health referral networks already held by some voluntary sector partners

• Developing a database of where GPs can refer patients to, backed up by training for GPs

Additionally, it was noted there already exist some schemes to aid referrals and signposting. A question raised in the workshop related to how these could be further developed to cover some of the issues related to poverty. These included:

• Making more use of ‘Making Every Contact Count’ to identify and signpost people in, or at risk of poverty, to the support they need. Currently it is designed around professionals offering brief advice on changing client behaviour as encountered – how could this be built upon?

• All partners to release staff for an hour a week to help advice agencies see clients and fill in forms with their clients

• Assessing to what extent the Lincolnshire Advice Network takes into account poverty related concerns

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• Assessing how the emerging Mental Health Promotion Strategy be further enhanced to tackle the poverty agenda

A number of other issues were also explored, particularly around supporting communities to mobilise themselves to improve life in their areas. Suggestions included:

• Tackling the stigma around poverty by encouraging it to be talked about

• Providing community centre spaces free of charge to community groups

• Helping carers re-establish themselves as an individual by engaging them in social activities

1.7 Afternoon Workshop: A

Recognising the increasing demand for food banks at both a national and local level, this workshop explored the co-ordination of food bank providers and referral agencies. Options for consideration in an action plan included:

• Developing a food bank networking group to co-ordinate opening times, referrals, standard of assessment, transport, share good practice etc.

• Developing relationships with partners such as His Church

• Developing a community shop, and linking this to offering training opportunities and work experience

The cost of running a household was also raised as a key issue for many people, particularly given the significant increase in household energy bills over the last few years. Potential solutions included:

• Employment of an Affordable Warmth Officer to provide assistance to fuel poor households regarding tariffs and fuel efficiency.

The issues of high cost loans, debt and financial exclusion were also raised as a particular issue in the city. Options suggested included:

• Engaging with the anti loan shark team for funding and targeted working in Lincoln

• Working with trading standards to tackle illegal practices

• Engaging school children to introduce them to financial education as young as possible – there are local organisations that can provide this for free

1.8 Afternoon Workshop: B

This workshop explored the issue of furniture re-distribution. It was recognised that many people are unable to afford essential furniture for comfortable living. Additionally, many of the finance options available to people in poverty can further exacerbate financial hardship. Potential solutions to ease this pressure included:

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• Social landlords to collect re-usable furniture and make this available to those organisations in the voluntary sector who already re-distribute second hand furniture

• Offering a free furniture delivery service – or request small donations toward fuel

• Referring people on ‘access to work’ schemes to gain work experience in charities, delivering food parcels and furniture

• Credit Union could link up with low cost furniture providers (e.g. charity shops) to provide credit options

• Co-ordinating a furniture collection scheme – there are several that exist independently of each other that many people and partners are unaware of

The need to increased partners’ shared knowledge of partner service provision was also highlighted as a pressing concern in this workshop. Options to assist with this included:

• Developing a forum for partners to come together to share best practice and identify the current offer in the city, and how to best work together on emerging issues

• Mapping furniture providers in the city to help partners signpost to these, and as part of this, find out what foods / furniture they provide. Making the results of this mapping exercise available to partners to assist signposting.

• Various partners have “local information systems” that provide signposting advice, but these are not shared with partners. These should be made available to partners, so everyone can work from the same up to date information.

• Single Assessment for advice providers Given that the majority of households in poverty have at least one person in work, it was noted that advice provision needed to be made accessible to those in work during normal office hours. Potential solutions included:

• Partners to host Twitter / Facebook accounts (potentially joint hosting) to provide access to work advice, financial advice, benefits advice, debt advice etc. (e.g. @LincolnJobAdvice, @LincolnBenefitsAdvice, @LincolnDebtAdvice)

• Partners to provide telephone advice for employed people to use during their lunch break

• Recognising not everyone has a job that they can use a phone during a lunch break, there is a need for out of hours / weekend advice as well

• Setting up an advice station in a supermarket – everyone needs to do a grocery shop

Some options for increasing access to information and opportunities more generally were also explored, such as:

• Encouraging local businesses, banks and shops to provide free wifi on their premises and in the surrounding area for people with internet devices

• When people approach food banks and food parcel providers, they need to be offered to attend a financial education workshop (e.g. Money Advice Service offer free workshops)

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• Organising rotational community workshops put on by partners (e.g. accessing work, money advice, drug use) – all that would be needed would be a room to be made available out in the community

• Encouraging employers to provide money advice leaflets in payslips

• Partners to hold surgeries in other partners’ buildings to avoid drop-off rates when signposting

• City of Lincoln Council PR exercise – not just about statutory enforcement

• Embedding budgeting skills in young children’s education

1.9 Afternoon Workshop: C

Workshop C discussed a range of issues, but specifically focused on the topic of food parcel provision. It was noted that the issue for many people was short term funding for a long-term issue. The Lincoln Food Bank does operate a strict referral system to signpost people to get them back on their feet. Key suggestions to support the network of food parcel provision were:

• Increasing the number of referral agencies

• Improving co-ordination between the four main food parcel providers through regular meetings

• Developing a register of where people can get food vouchers from

• Food Bank to pass on any excess beans and soup to BeAttitude

• The council or Co-Op to allow food parcel providers use any available empty premises to store food

• Developing a suspended coffee / sandwich scheme with small local cafés

• Council staff and councillors to distribute drinks in the day

• Street Pastors to distribute drinks in the evenings

• Grant provision to food parcel providers to subsidise food parcel delivery

• Developing links between food parcel providers and the Market Kitchen (e.g. recipes / tips)

1.10 Afternoon Workshop: D

This workshop focused partly on the issue of financial inclusion. It was noted there are accessible financial products available, from the Credit Union, as well as high street banks such as Barclays Bank. However, there is a deficit of people in poverty accessing these financial products, and many low-income households suffer from high levels of debt. Possible options to explore include:

• Better promotion of the wide range of options available for banking (even for those with a poor credit history)

• Facilitating free money management talks available from the Credit Union and other high streets banks such as Barclays Bank. Potential focus in the short term on students about to leave school

• Get money management back on the school curriculum for primary school children and for those about to leave school

• Operating savings accounts, facilitated by schools

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• Encouraging all social landlords, and other partners to open a Credit Union account for their tenants / clients, and potentially offering a £10 contribution incentive to save

• Developing and advertising access to impartial advice that can offer immediate support for people in financial crisis, and attempting to divert them away from high interest options

• Encouraging employers to offer a payroll deduction scheme, thereby helping staff to save each payday for times of financial stress e.g. Christmas.

• Teaching children positive aspirations to address ‘aspirational poverty’

• Promoting easier and quicker access to low cost loans, to avoid reliance on quick and simple high interest loans and loan sharks

In addition, this workshop looked at volunteering in the city, and how this could be supported, through:

• Advertising the opportunities to volunteer, covering key facts / descriptions, on social media and across partner websites. Encouraging wider circulation of these opportunities e.g. universities and schools

• Encouraging organisations to take volunteers by supporting the volunteers to be more self-sufficient

• Branding volunteering as ‘work experience’, and combining with basic training (e.g. a volunteer card) to give people the basic skills for CVs etc.

• Partners helping to market the volunteer centre to increase traffic

• Developing a volunteering accreditation scheme to help people gain experience, skills and training

1.11 Afternoon Workshop: E

In workshop E, discussion focused predominately on the issue of housing and poverty. It was recognised when people move into a new, unfurnished home; they could lack many essentials that they may struggle to pay for. Potential solutions to help people in this situation included:

• The council to offer interest free loans for essential items (to replace the social fund loan)

• PAT testing cookers left in properties instead of disposal – consider what other authorities and social landlords are doing across the country in respect of cookers and flooring

• Specifying flooring in new build council properties

• Partnering with other organisations e.g. colleges, to get support with refurbishing furniture, and delivery companies, to help with delivering furniture

• Considering implementing projects in the city that are run elsewhere, e.g. the Sofa Project in Bristol

• Encouraging county recycling centres for furniture recycling at tip

• Developing links with carpet companies for refitting into other homes when they remove an old carpet

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• Potential for Cory to signpost people to furniture charities when they are contacted to remove furniture, or encouraging customers to donate useable furniture to charities

• Progressing the Private Sector Accreditation and Licensing Scheme.

• Consulting with people to find out what are essential components to a home and including this as part of the accreditation and licensing scheme.

• Developing a local ‘free-cycle scheme’ and promoting its advertisement In addition, ways to provide further support to carers were explored:

• Re-considering offering bus passes to carers

• Identifying which clients are carers, and signposting them to relevant support groups

1.12 Afternoon Workshop: F

Workshop F explored a broad range of issues. Like many other workshops, one of the key challenges highlighted here was about signposting ‘hard to reach’ groups to services:

• Partners advertising their services in places where older persons attend

• Mobile wardens signposting tenants to services

• Providing meeting rooms for carers to network and gain advice With significant increases in the cost of living over recent years, the high cost of living was also explored as a significant issue. Options for consideration included:

• A mobile food bank to deliver food parcels to people and referral agencies (would require funding)

• A bulk energy purchase scheme

• Engaging with utility companies to reduce the number of pre-payment meters in the city

In addition, the huge value of young people in the city was explored, and ways to both support them, and seek support for them, were suggested:

• Facilitating a scheme for university students to volunteer as buddies for young people

• Facilitating a scheme for university students to volunteer for the voluntary sector more generally

• More targeted marketing of apprenticeships to young people in schools etc. as a useful way of gaining work experience

• Increasing the number of apprenticeship opportunities for young people across partner organisations

1.13 General recommendations

• An annual Lincoln Poverty Conference

• Share contact details of delegates

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7. Conclusion The review of poverty in Lincoln by Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee has been extensive, with many public, private and voluntary sector partners being involved throughout the process. The review has covered various topics including low income, worklessness, child poverty, older person poverty, household poverty, and the relationship between health and poverty. However, one of the key things to come out of the review was the complex nature of poverty, as experienced by people living in the city. For this reason, it was ensured these various ‘topics’ were not seen in isolation of each other. This review of poverty has culminated in the production of the Lincoln Anti-Poverty Strategy 2014-2016, and the Lincoln Anti-Poverty Action Plan 2014/15. As focus now turns to delivery, the journey that has taken place these past nine months will continue through the Action Plan.

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Appendices

Appendix A: Lincoln Case Studies

Case study one I am a female in her twenties who is currently studying at Lincoln College. I have completed my first academic year successfully and intend to return in September. I am currently on Income Support, which includes an element of sickness benefit, and I receive a total of £187 per fortnight. I also receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit. I also receive some additional help towards buying equipment for my course. I live in a two bedroom council property. I have been affected by the bedroom tax, although my estate officer helped me fill in a form so this could be postponed for 6 months. This is a worry for me as I have an emotional attachment to this house. I have lived here for 4 years and moved here to live with my late husband. It is the longest I have ever lived anywhere. It frustrates me that there are some people abusing the system. I am aware of an elderly lady in possession of a three bedroom house, which she does not live in as she lives with her sister. I do have some debts. Prior to my husband’s death, I became overdrawn at the bank to the sum of £250. I have never been able to clear this debt and so each time I go overdrawn by more than £10, the bank charges me £5 per day. I also have some Housing Benefit arrears. This was as a result of me taking a lodger into my spare room. When her benefits were stopped, it affected my housing benefit. This has made me quite anxious about taking in a lodger to help with the bedroom tax. I would be relying on a person who I don’t know from Adam to pay the rent and would have my housing benefit cut. Who will it backfire on if they don’t pay? I’m also in a new relationship and whilst I don’t feel we are ready to move in together, I do want some privacy. I like the security of living on my own and knowing I can lock the door and no one will disturb me. I also live on an estate where people gossip. I would worry about a lodger talking about my business. I am aware of services available in my community such as CAB and Benefits Advice. Access to a telephone is the biggest problem and if it were not for the service offered by my Neighbourhood Team, things just wouldn’t get sorted. I have a mobile phone and I have to top-up a minimum of £10 credit. Some weeks I just can’t afford to do this. Quite often I am put on hold when contacting services and this can result in the phone call being quite expensive. I am down to every penny each fortnight and therefore I struggle to purchase one-off expenses such as replacing a broken washing machine or carpets. This means that I put up with a vacuum cleaner that doesn’t really work properly even though I have asthma. I had a similar problem with the Council’s green bin scheme in that the £25 fee had to be paid all at once and can’t be spread over time. This worries me because maintaining your garden

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is a part of your tenancy. I am also concerned about the state of my fencing as it’s crumbling and rotten and the rule seems to be that even if it is broken, if it is still standing, you still have a fence. I am aware of budgeting loans and did access one 4 or 5 years ago but I do see this as a ‘desperate measure’. I didn’t find this too bad to pay back. They charged me no interest and took about £20 out of my benefits each fortnight. I am not a member of the Credit Union as I think I would have difficulties saving money. I have accessed health services through my GP and am currently attending ‘Get Active’. This involves a 2.5 mile walk to get there which takes me about 50 mins but I am treating this as my warm-up. Exercise helps me vent my frustrations and leaves me feeling refreshed. On of my main worries is around my pet dogs. I suffer from depression and I find them valuable company for me. I have no children – my dogs are my children. It’s my dogs that keep me going and give me routine. However I do worry about vet bills and am frightened in case anything happens to them and I can’t afford to pay for treatment. It is a constant worry when I wake in the morning and go to bed. I don’t want to live thinking that their death or suffering was my fault because I couldn’t pay. I wish we had some form of community vet scheme so you could have your pets checked out for free and perhaps offer a discount on treatment.

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Case study two We are a couple living in council property. One of us is on Job Seekers Allowance and the other is on Employment Support Allowance. Since moving in together we have found it difficult financially as this resulted in a £60 decrease in benefits, as opposed to us claiming as individuals.

I recently secured agency work relating to caring. This involved me working over 50 hours and travelling to Metheringham on my scooter. Although I enjoyed the job, I don’t feel that I was treated well. They keep swapping and changing my shifts and didn’t pay what they said they would pay. My first pay packet was just over £100 which is much less than I expected. It was a temporary job and I had no employment contract. I now want to go back to college in September.

Debt is a really big issue for us as a couple. I did access support from Christians Against Poverty who were brilliant. At that time I was £1500 in debt and they helped sort things out. However I then got a crisis loan and they refused to support me further. Most of our benefits are eaten up by repaying debts. Some of these debts belong to my ex-boyfriends and I’ve been left paying them off.

Some weeks I have just lived off eating cereal as I had nothing in the house. I have accessed the Community Larder but I have already had 3 vouchers in the last 12 months. They can’t support me further as their support is for short-term crisis, not budgeting issues. I haven’t accessed my local Citizens Advice Surgery yet.

It’s really difficult to get credit but maybe this is a good thing as it stops me getting into further debt. I am currently applying for a budgeting loan but I know I will struggle with the repayments.

I really worry about what will happen when benefits start getting paid monthly. I struggle to budget for two weeks. I think a lot of people will end up being tempted to do illegal things – such as working cash in hand whilst they claim benefits.

I have two children but they do not live with me – I have contact with them during the holiday periods. This places a strain on us financially as I do not receive any additional benefit, such as child benefit. My son lives with his Grandma and she helpfully sent a food parcel when he came to stay. My daughter however lives with her father and he doesn’t offer any financial help when she comes to stay. The bedroom tax means that I can’t have a separate bedroom for them when they come to stay. I feel bad that I can’t take the kids to the cinema or go swimming. There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed. What’s the point in getting up? – It’s the same thing every day.

Getting in contact with services is an issue – particularly those that use 0845 numbers. I use the telephone service offered by the Neighbourhood Team but if this didn’t exist, I would struggle. I have no money to get into town to access services.

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Case study three Mrs S is a 59 year old married woman who until recently was living with her husband in a 3 Bed House. Her husband a 57yr old amputee who suffers from diabetes fell backwards down the stairs in the property which saw him end up in hospital in Intensive Care, He suffered serious injuries to his back and his false leg twisted behind and caused more injuries to the upper part of his good leg. Mrs S and her husband had been coping with all household bills and council payments including paying for 2 extra bedrooms, despite the fact that they cannot share a bedroom because of his disability, under the new tax. They would dearly like to downsize to a two bedroom adapted ground floor property however; no such alternative accommodation is currently available. Because her husband has left intensive care now and is in rehabilitation the family have lost the disability living allowance payment which was worth £200 per month to them, the result of this loss and the continued liability to pay the extra bedroom tax has meant that Mrs S is now in debt, a situation she has never had before. She has applied for dispensation and is awaiting a decision; her husband will have to go into a care home for what could be a considerable time if no suitable accommodation becomes available and if his rehabilitation goes reasonably well Clearly Mrs S is upset that at the worst moments in their life they have to face all these additional worries.

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Case study four Miss E is a 31 year old single parent with 3 children, a boy aged 4yrs, a 12yr boy and a 14yr old girl and they live in a 4 bed roomed house. Miss E lives on £115.00 per fortnight Income support which is boosted by child benefit of £164.00. She moved to Lincoln to escape an abusive partner who used to spend all the families income on drink and she is busy now trying to rebuild her life and that of her children Because of the spare forth bedroom which she describes as a “box room” (only good for storage cos you can’t fit a bed in there) Miss E is now liable for the bedroom tax and this is placing a strain on her already limited resources. She has therefore applied for subsistence and has had the bedroom measured Due to her limited income and her ex partners debts Miss E is also now a significant customer to door step lenders, Prudential in particular, she said it started with vouchers but more recently has escalated to borrowing sums of cash especially to enable her to buy items for the home and birthday presents and clothes for the children. Miss E has no idea what APR she is being charged, “I was desperate and they called round so it really helped me out”, “I do pay them back each week without fail“. She said that when her son is 5yrs old she will be expected to find employment and go onto Job Seekers Allowance and she says she is really frightened having been away from the job market for such a long time. She states she has very little skills or qualifications and even if she succeeds in getting a job she thinks she might not be able find adequate child care for after school at reasonable cost if the job was full time and it would probably fall to her 14yr daughter to look after everyone She is also concerned if her child goes sick will the employer be understanding and give her time off and if she does have time off and the employer doesn’t like it and sacks her, she has heard from friends that her benefits will stop altogether and she will be without any income whatsoever Miss E has been signposted to the Credit Union and some training courses with child care facilities to help her become work ready.

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Appendix B: Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion Conference

Liz Barclay (BBC Broadcaster and Journalist)

• Seemingly affluent people can have a low disposable income and face financial exclusion

• The complexity of information around financial products can lead people to financially exclude themselves – the solution is simplification (e.g. the term ‘APR’ has been used since 1972, but a survey showed only 17% knew what it meant)

• Mental health issues (e.g. bi-polar disorder) can cause people to take out loans and spend excessively

• Many organisations only provide financial support once people are in debt, they need to be more preventative (e.g. a lady diagnosed with cancer wanted to get help with avoiding getting into financial difficulty as her condition progressed, she was refused because at that point she wasn’t in debt)

Derrick Brown (Partnership Manager at the DWP)

• We do not yet have an implementation date for Universal Credit

• The preference is for people to claim Universal Credit online (83% of JSA claimants are currently online, compared to 30% last year)

• Currently 92% of job vacancies require applicants to have basic IT skills, and more than ¼ of employers prefer to recruit online

• Universal Credit may create complexity in people’s finances. Someone on low pay may have, in effect, two paydays – one from their employer, and the other from their benefits

• There will be a ‘fall-back’ system for people who can’t manage their landlord payment when UC is first introduced, for a short period of time the DWP will pay on behalf of the tenant (short-term solution only)

• For unemployment claimants, the claimant commitment will be rolled out on 28th October 2013. It will include an appropriate commitment from the claimant to the adviser (could include applying for X number of jobs, going on training, engaging with a support agency to sort out their finances)

• The Local Support Services Framework – LAs, DWP, Public Bodies in general, have been charged with looking at what local support is available (in light of the benefits changes)

o There will be some funding for the local partnership to ‘buy in’ some additional support (no details on how much funding will be available at this time)

o The plans will be pulled together at district level, and will include mapping what current provision is available locally

o Gap analysis will then follow to identify where additional support is needed

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Peter Heafield (District Manager at Citizens Advice Bureau)

• There is a countywide Advice Services Transition Project (funded by the Big Lottery for two years, year 1: £218,607, year 2: £189,656).

o The main partners are forming a project board to oversee the delivery of the project, but successful delivery will involve engaging with all relevant partners

o The outcome of the project is, with agreement from all partners, what can be done together to better deal with the issues that are happening around benefit changes etc. One of the interesting things to be coming out of this is around the provision of advice:

� Coordinating advice network � Ensuring a consistent advice network � Sharing a training model

Katy Roberts (Boston Mayflower Housing)

• Scheme being run called ‘Fit 4 Your Future’: o It’s a 3 year project to help new tenants, young people in social

housing, and those in and out of work, to become more confident in making better decisions with their finances

o Could be through helping them to budget, helping them to shop around for best deals on household utilities, telephone and insurance, etc.

o Led by Boston Mayflower and supported by delivery partners Boston CAB and TaylorITEX CIC

o It is one of 37 projects funded nationally by the Improving Financial Confidence programme (£623k from the Big Lottery) and tenants from all social housing landlords in the borough are eligible for support.

Poverty in Lincoln Work we are already doing to tackle poverty in Lincoln.....6 1.4 Objectives of the review .....7 ... • Campaigning against loan sharks and payday loans • The

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