The
Chair welcomed Steve Barriball and Robin Mulholland of CAB. As well
as providing statistics relating to welfare benefit, debt,
employment and housing, Steve reported:-
- the
main causes of a threat of homelessness were around significant
life events including relationship breakdown, bereavement, illness
and disability and job loss;
- although the cost of living was decreasing this was not always
evident from clients;
- a
court repossession desk run on each Tuesday in the County Court
with almost 90% of actions avoided;
- 30%
more people helped in 2015 so far; and
- trends
showed a decrease in money and debt problem enquiries but increases
in welfare benefits, housing and employment problem
enquiries;
Impact of welfare changes:
- a
number of cases where the sanctions policy had caused
homelessness;
- the
‘bedroom tax’ had led to homelessness/threatened
homelessness;
- the
migration process from Disability Living Allowance to Personal
Independent Payments and the stringent medicals for PIP and
Employment and Support Allowance had caused many cases of financial
hardship and an increase in debt and potential/actual homelessness;
and
- high number of
wrong decisions made by the Department for Work and Pensions with
no apparent sanctions.
Other concerns:
- cost of rented property compared to average wages;
- difficulty in obtaining affordable specialist legal
advice;
- the
Department for Communities and Local Government estimate that the
cost of homelessness per person is £24,000 to £30,000 -
a cost borne by local councils, Clinical Commissioning Groups, the
Department for Work and Pensions and the criminal justice system;
and
- impact of the
next round of welfare reforms.
Ideas and opportunities
- the
Exeter Money Advice Partnership service based in the Civic Centre
links debtors to the Council to provide advice and co-location has
also made the process one of joint working to achieve sustainable
solutions for clients; and
- EMAP funding from Local Welfare Support ends on 31st March 2016
and alternative funding would be required.
He responded as follows to Members’
queries:-
·
the main financial support to CAB came
from the City and County Councils. With increasing financial
pressures, other bodies were approached to assist and a significant
proportion of income came from charities and consideration was
being given to appealing for donations to individuals helped by CAB
in the past. Mark Parkinson added that tender documents were being
prepared for invites to be issued to Credit Unions to bid for
work;
·
the demographic of clients was largely
that of working age with approximately one third being disabled or
with long term ill health. Some 12% were non white British and the
majority were female;
·
to obtain a better picture of the City’s economic well being
CAB, in partnership with the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce,
the Express and Echo and Exe Radio, had ran a survey of local
people with 120 respondents. Approximately a third had seen their
income reduce with a third reporting an increase with a similar
percentage witnessing no change. A further survey would be
undertaken in the new year; and
·
the CAB was considering the merits of an
ethical letting agency. Details of schemes from elsewhere were
available on line. The CAB was involved in lobbying for improved
standards in the private rented sector.
The
Chair thanked Mr Barriball for the presentation.