Whit Money (360G-SCVO-a0gb00000129ee8AAA)

What - The funding would allow us to develop the capacity of an already essential and established financial inclusion project. Currently the project delivers 3 days of CAB advice on an outreach basis in the resource centre. This provides access to welfare benefits advice delivering one to one appointments. Ensuring client income is maximised, to prevent arrears, legal action and eviction through relevant benefit and credit entitlements. Increasing the capacity by providing an additional day of outreach to provide a focused support to clients who are/have transferring/transferred to universal credit. This will allow for more time to be spent on those clients requiring additional support through transition. Why - This is increasing the capacity of an already successful existing outreach advice service. The idea came from the fact that the project is already very well utilised and there is currently already a 2 week waiting time for appointments. With the universal credit roll out happening this month this will be further exacerbated. By providing an additional day of outreach support dedicated to those needing help with issues relating to universal credit will help to prioritise the support and alleviate the pressure on the current essential resource. Consultation on this service has reported 99% satisfaction with its accessibility, length of time for appointment and length of time for follow up support. 89% reported very good when rating the service. Further consultation carried out by Healthy n Happy CDT in July 2017 also evidences why WCRC want to expand this project. Almost 200 residents were consulted about a range of issues in the community. Over 80% believe unemployment is the biggest issue, with 74% indicating poverty as a significant concern. Over 50% were concerned about the changes to welfare reform. Who - This will benefit the residents of the community of Whitlawburn. It will focus on those clients who as a result of being transferred onto universal credit are finding their situation increasingly difficult. For example mounting debt including arrears, struggling to cope with the financial responsibilities and/or sanctions. Increasing this capacity will provide the more specific advice and allow for the existing service to provide its more general welfare benefit advice. Where - The project is aimed at the community of Whitlawburn. Whitlawburn has a population of almost 2000 and is an area of multiple deprivation comprising 145th and 153rd most deprived datazones of 6505, placing it in the 5% most deprived neighbourhoods in Scotland. The income and employment statistics for Whitlawburn comparative to South Lanarkshire and Scotland as a whole according to SIMD 2016 illustrate the extent to which the people in the area are disadvantaged and suffering hardship. Employment deprived - 31.3% (SLC 13.2%, Scotland 10.8% SIMD 2016) Income deprived - 37% (SLC 13.2%, Scotland 13.4% SIMD 2016) Also 65% of residents in Whitlawburn are in receipt of full/partial housing benefit (or receive that housing element through universal credit). 57% of all children under 16 in Whitlawburn are in low income families, compared to 17% in SLC and 18% in Scotland. There is also a high level of one parent families. 50% of all children in low income families in Whitlawburn are in lone adult households.