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WORKING FOR FAMILIES

WORKING FOR FAMILIES. MONEY ADVICE IN PRACTISE IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE AND INVERCLYDE. AREA COMPARISON. Strong similarities exist between West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde local authority areas. Both within Glasgow City region.

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WORKING FOR FAMILIES

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  1. WORKING FOR FAMILIES MONEY ADVICE IN PRACTISE IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE AND INVERCLYDE

  2. AREA COMPARISON • Strong similarities exist between West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde local authority areas. • Both within Glasgow City region. • Comparable industrial histories (decline in Shipbuilding- Transfer to service sector). • Above average levels of unemployment (Scotland).

  3. West Dunbartonshire Population:91,400 Level of unemployment: 13,100 Average Weekly Earnings (FT):£395.9 Level claiming JSA:2,634 Inverclyde Population:82,100 Level of unemployment: 12,400 Average Weekly Earnings (FT):£389.2 Level claiming JSA:2,364 AREA COMPARISON

  4. NATIONAL STRATEGY • WFF is an element of the Executives “Closing the Opportunity Gap” strategy. • Specific goal of reducing and eventually eradicating child poverty. • Fits well within the Workforce Plus Strategy.

  5. STRATEGY (cont) • As part of WFF, Money Advice services support the aims of the “Closing the Opportunity Gap” strategy by: 1- Prevention of poverty 2- Providing routes out of poverty. 3- Sustaining poverty-free lives.

  6. LOCAL STRATEGY • Pilot Projects identified need for holistic services to complement childcare provision. • Debt and Benefit advice accepted as a major barrier to employment. • In many WFF Local Authorities, Money Advice is a key service for clients.

  7. LOCAL STRATEGY • Money Advice service delivered as part of overall Social Justice Strategy (CPP). • Focus on- Dealing With Debt. Access to Intermediate Financial Products. Building Assets. • Improving Financial Literacy.

  8. WORKFORCE PLUS • Amalgamated coordination of services with specific goal. • Partners include, Job Centre Plus, Scottish Enterprise, Careers Scotland and Local Service Providers. • Local Authority as lead agency. • WFF and Money Advice provision adheres closely to WFP models.

  9. WORKFORCE PLUS

  10. THE INVERCLYDE MODEL • Money Advice Team situated within Inverclyde Community Development Trust. • Consisting of a Welfare Rights Officer seconded from Social Work and Debt Counsellor, seconded from Advice and Employment Rights Centre. • Priority given to WFF clients.

  11. PROVISION IN WD • Money Advice provision delivered by West Dunbartonshire Council Welfare Rights Unit. • Clients referred to unit via Working for Families Key-Workers. • Benefit Advice provided in-house by Welfare Rights Officers. • Complex Debt Counselling Referred to WD Financial Fitness Team.

  12. BARRIERS TO WORK • WD Welfare Rights Unit assist with various barriers, including: • The “Poverty Trap”, • Complexity of Benefit System. • Confusion over Tax Credit system, • Poor Literacy and/ or numeracy skills • Personal Debt.

  13. OVERCOMING BARRIERS • The Welfare Rights Unit offers: • Advice on available benefits, • Assistance with form completion, • Helping clients in their dealings with other Agencies, • Checking awards of benefit, • “Better off” calculations, • Supporting clients with overpayment issues, • Dealing with debt.

  14. RECURRING BENEFIT ISSUES • There are many trends in the WFF client group: • Tax Credit award notices. • Tax Credit changes of circumstances. • Tax Credit overpayments. • Housing benefit / council tax benefit • “If it doesn’t work out will I get back onto benefit?”

  15. MONEY MANAGEMENT • The Welfare Rights Unit can further assist clients with: • Advice on Budgeting • Financial Planning • Prioritising Debt • Negotiating with creditors • Bankruptcy.

  16. AIMS OF SERVICE • The Unit Hopes to help clients by • Assisting with and debt or benefits issues, • Helping clients to “Maximize Benefit Income”, • Showing that work “can pay”, • Support sustained employment, • Providing a flexible and approachable service.

  17. West Dunbartonshire No of Clients: Welfare Rights- Debt Counselling- Targets (05/06): Welfare Rights- Debt Counselling- Total Debt: Average Debt: Inverclyde No of Clients: Welfare Rights- 58 Debt Counselling- 79 Targets (05/06): Welfare Rights- 120 Debt Counselling- 120 Total Debt: £277,604 Average Debt: £3514 CURRENT OUTPUTS

  18. ANY QUESTIONS?

  19. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES • Please Consider the following: • Is Money Advice provision the responsibility of Welfare Rights, Economic Development or Social Work? • Do you believe the Executives aim of eradicating Child poverty is too optimistic? • Do Intermediate financial products (credit unions, etc) adequately fulfil the requirements set out by the Executives “Closing the Opportunity Gap” strategy? • What more can be done to improve Financial Literacy?

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