April 2015 Foodbank Report

Understanding the need for Foodbank assistance in Renfrewshire

Advice Works InternFebruary 2015

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Acknowledgements

This report was compiled using statistical information between April 2013 and September 2014 extracted from Renfrewshire Council’s Advice Works and published with the assistance of and information from the Renfrewshire Foodbank operated by the Trussell Trust.

Advice Works is Renfrewshire Council’s Income Maximisation Service providing assistance with benefits and debt advice issues.

The Trussell Trust is a charity providing emergency food assistance for those most in need with Christian values at the heart of the organisation.


ContentsIntroduction 4

Overview 5

The Trussell Trust 6

Renfrewshire Foodbank 7

The Impact of 11Welfare Reform inRenfrewshire

Why are people using 14Foodbanks in Renfrewshire ?

Who is using Renfrewshire Foodbank 18

Causes of Poverty in Renfrewshire 21

Distributors 22

How does the Foodbank link in with other support strategies? 24

Key Findings 25

Recommendations 25

Sources 27


IntroductionThe purpose of this report is to outline the reasons why people are being referred to Foodbanks in Renfrewshire based on information contained within records held in both Advice Works and Renfrewshire Foodbank.

Our findings illustrate a number of reasons why residents are accessing the Foodbank and we shall provide an overview of these.

The intention of the Foodbank voucher is to provide food provisions to those who are destitute and have no other current means of support. People who seek out the services of the Foodbank are given three days worth of emergency food. Advice Works have seen significant increases in the numbers of vouchers issued over the period and we have provided statistical information later in this report to illustrate this.

It is important to explore how a service like Advice Works, Renfrewshire Council and the Foodbank can support those at times of crisis and provide solutions to address longer term issues. To do this, we must firstly look at the reasons presented by the Trussell Trust and demonstrate why people are referred to Foodbanks nationally. This will be explained with evidence from organisations and charities such as Advice Works, Citizen’s Advice Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group and Oxfam. The report will then go on to look at the situation in Renfrewshire and try to identify the reasons why there has been an increased usage in Renfrewshire and examine whether or not they are related to the Trussell Trust’s national figures. There are 79 voucher distributors in Renfrewshire which include statutory organisations such as council departments like Social Work, housing, homeless and education. However, for the purposes of this report, only the distributors who have given out more than one voucher per week are included in the report.

The report will identify top distributors and their reasons for referring people to Foodbanks. It will lastly, make recommendations as to how the Foodbank can be supported.


Methodology and OverviewThe information in this report was collated using a variety of different methods and sources. Firstly, background information about the Trussell Trust Foodbank network was collated from the Trussell Trust Website (http://www.trusselltrust.org/) and reports compiled by Trussell Trust such as “The Trussell Trust’s UK Foodbank network” and “Emergency Use Only” in conjunction with CPAG to give an insight to the Foodbank situation nationally so that the situation in Renfrewshire can be compared.

All information about the Renfrewshire Foodbank was collated by visiting the Foodbank regularly and interviewing volunteers and the manager. The writer was able to obtain information from the Trussell Trust database which every Foodbank has access to and this is how the Trussell Trust is able to publish nationwide figures. There was also information provided about the amount of food that Foodbank users receive.

The report goes on to discuss:

The financial impact of welfare reform on Renfrewshire, using information from the Scottish Parliament ‘Report on local impact of Welfare Reform.’1 This indicates the amount each ward in Scotland is set to lose from welfare reform.

The geographical break down of food voucher distribution across Renfrewshire using statistics from the Foodbank.

The reasons why people are being referred to the Foodbank using Advice Works data, Social Work Information System data and Foodbank data. Looking nationally using various policy reports from organisations such as CPAG, Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Oxfam.

A time line of benefit changes in conjunction with the number of Foodbank vouchers issued to establish if there is a direct correlation between benefit changes and the number of food vouchers issued over the reported timescales.

The causes of poverty were broadly discussed using sources such as CPAG, Oxfam and CAB Reports as well as reports from Renfrewshire Council looking at poverty in the Renfrewshire area.

Other distributors who referred people to the local Foodbank by telephone call and the reasons many of them issued vouchers.

1 http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf


http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf

http://www.trusselltrust.org/

The Trussell TrustMost Foodbanks are run by The Trussell Trust. The Trussell Trust originated in Bulgaria in 1996.2

Demand for Foodbanks in Britain began to increase in 2000. The Foodbank network was established in 2004, setting up Foodbanks in churches and community organisations.2

There has been discussion within the media that the rise in the number of people turning to Foodbanks is due to welfare reform, benefit changes and benefit delays. There have also been recent reports published, most notably by Child Poverty Action Group, Trussell Trust and the Church of England3. Since April 2013 the number of people referred to Foodbanks has risen by 162%.4 Reasons for this shall be examined later in the report. The graph below illustrates the reasons for foodbank referrals nationally.

Benefi

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Low Income

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eals

Refused

STBA

Refused

local

welfare

assis

tance

0.00%5.00%

10.00%15.00%20.00%25.00%30.00%35.00% 30.93%

20.29%16.97%

10.50%7.85%

3.65% 3.08% 1.93% 1.67% 1.00% 0.94% 0.64% 0.55%

Primary referral causes April 1st 2013 - 31st March 2014

Figure 1, Data compiled from http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats4

The figure 1 above outlines the reasons why people are being referred to Foodbanks. Around 48% of referrals in total were due to problems with welfare

2 The Trussell Trust “How We started” http://www.trusselltrust.org/how -we-started

3 “Emergency Use Only” http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-report


http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-report

benefits. Around 20% of referrals were due to a low income and 7.85% of referrals were because of debts. 4

The Renfrewshire Foodbank

The Renfrewshire Foodbank operates from four locations. The warehouse in Abercorn Street is where members of the public come to donate items. These are distributed amongst the three locations in Renfrewshire: Paisley, Johnstone and Erskine.

The Paisley Foodbank is located in the Christian Growth Centre in Broomlands Street. Paisley Foodbank distributes food on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 2 PM- 4 PM. Johnstone Foodbank is located in Johnstone High Parish Church. Food is distributed on a Wednesday from 10 AM- 12 Noon. Erskine Foodbank is located in the Erskine Baptist Church and distributes food on Mondays 10 AM- 12 Noon.

Since September 2012, the Renfrewshire Foodbank has had a prominent role in Renfrewshire with members of the community donating food and ensuring that people do not go hungry.

However, since April 2013, there has been a rising demand for the services the Foodbank offers. Approximately 2900 food parcels were given out by the Renfrewshire Foodbank in 2013-14, feeding over 4500 people including children.4

Figure 2 outlines the reasons why people are being referred to the Renfrewshire Foodbank:5

4 Stats-http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats

5 Trussell Trust Food Bank Data


Benefi

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Low Income

Other

Refused

Crisis L

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Refused

STBA

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05

1015202530

Primary Reason for Referral %

Figure 2, Compiled from Trussell Trust Foodbank data.

The reasons are broadly similar to nationwide reasons. The following graph shows a comparison between referrals in Renfrewshire and nationwide:

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101520253035

Primary Reason for Referral %

UK Renfrewshire

Figure 3, Data compiled from http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats4 and Trussell trust foodbank data5

Renfrewshire Foodbank gives out 3 vouchers per individual within a six month period. However, if a service user is in severe financial difficulty then they are able to claim more vouchers at the discretion of the organisation they are working with. However, the ultimate decision lies with the Foodbank.


Service users are given enough food for three days. The provisions issued are noted below:

Food ParcelSingle

Food parcelSmall family

Food ParcelLarge Family

box of cereal x 1Soup tins x2tin of beans x2 tin of tomatoes x 1Pasta Sauce x 1Tea/Coffee x1Juice x1UHT Milk/powder milk x 1dried pasta/rice x1Tinned veg x1Tinned Meat x1Tinned potatoes x1Tinned Fruit x 1 Sugar x 1

box of cereal x 2Soup tin x 6 beans/hoops x4400g of tomatoes Pasta Sauce x 1Sugar x 1Cereal x 1soup x 2beans/ hoops x 2Tomatoes x 2Pasta Sauce x 1pasta/rice/noodles x 2Tinned Veg x 3Tinned meat x 3Tinned potatoes x 2Tinned Fruit x 3Tinned rice/custard x 2Sugar x1Juice x 1UHT Milk/powder milk x 1Tea/Coffee x 1

2 x Cereal6 x Soup 4 x Beans/Hoops2 x Tomatoes2x Jars Sauce2 x Pasta/Sauce4 x Tinned Veg3 x Tinned Meat2 x Tinned potatoes4 x Tinned Fruit2 x Rice/Custard

1xSugar2xTea/Coffee2xJuice2xMilk


Extras:

Jam/Peanut Butter x1Tinned Fish x1Biscuits x 1Sauce x 1Chocolate bar x 1Sweets/ Crisps x 1

Extras:

Tinned fish x 2 Jam/Peanut butter x 1Biscuits x 2Sauce x 1Chocolate Bar x 2Sweets/Crisps x 4

Extras:

1 x Jam/Peanut Butter3x Tinned Fish3x Biscuits1x Sauce4x Chocolate bar4x Sweets/Crisps

Figure 4, food parcel contents

Foodbanks are staffed by dedicated volunteers. When a client arrives at the Foodbank they are given a tea or coffee and biscuits. A volunteer retrieves their food parcel and asks a bit about what has happened and what has brought them there. Clients are also signposted to other organisations including Advice Works if they are in need of additional support.

The Renfrewshire Foodbank is run by Roslyn McVeigh. Figure 2 highlights the primary reasons for referral to the Renfrewshire foodbank. The three most common reasons were benefit changes, benefit delays and low income respectively. Roslyn also identified that the main reasons people in Renfrewshire are turning to Foodbanks is because of benefit changes, delays and sanctions. She felt that the number of people coming to the Foodbank since April 2013 had risen five fold- especially in Scotland.

The next section of this report will go on to look at the extent and the impact of welfare reform.


The Impact of Welfare Reform in RenfrewshireThe implementation of welfare reform could remove an estimated £1.6bn from the Scottish economy. This is approximately £460 for every working age adult. 6 Ward Loss per working age

adult Per annumPaisley North West £660Renfrew South & Gallowhill £610Paisley South West £560Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch

£540

Renfrew North £520Paisley South £490Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood £480Paisley East & Ralston £480Houston, Crosslee & Linwood £470Erskine & Inchinnan £370Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank £330Figure 4, Data compiled from the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee 5th Report “Report on Local Impact of welfare Reform”7

Claimants at Feb

2012

Annual total

claimed at Feb 2012

Losses so far

Annual losses

from April 2013

Annual losses

from April 2014

Annual losses

from April 2015

Total losses

2010-15

Disability Living Allowance 13,170 £51,397,24

2 £205,589 £6,729,391 £6,686,381 £11,857,504 25,478,865

Income Support 5290 £22,306,237 £89,225 £282,665 £574,375 £875,357 1,821,621

Employment Support

Allowance3930 £16,933,27

0 £67,733 £213,766 £434,372 £661,990 1,377,861

Incapacity Benefit 6480 £22,765,018 £91,060 £287,386 £583,968 889,977 1,852,390

Jobseeker's Allowance 5910 £19,305,84

2 £77,223 £243,717 £495,233 £754,744 1,570,917

Carer's Allowance 1690 £4,925,674 £19,703 £40,942 £63,190 £86,482 210,317Attendance Allowance 6110 £20,686,74

9 £82,747 £171,948 £265,384 £363,206 883,285

Housing Benefit 17770 £62,779,278

£1,780,640 £3,849,060 £4,664,410 £5,505,733 15,799,843

Child Benefit 21730 £28,891,647

£4,229,506 £3,599,917 £4,025,815 £4,464,550 16,319,788

Tax Credits 16800 £69,686,400

£1,689,500 £1,689,500 £1,689,500 £1,689,500 6,758,000

Benefit Cap 130 affected £0 £0 £197,795 £395,590 £395,590 988,975

Total £319,677,357

£8,332,926

£17,306,087

£19,878,217

£27,544,633

£73,061,862

6 http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf, p.3

7 http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf, p.43




Figure 5, Data compiled from the People, Councils, The Economy, Scottish Local Government Forum Against Poverty, March 20138

Figure 5 from a report by the Scottish Local Government Forum Against Poverty and Rights Advice Scotland- illustrates the projected losses of each individual benefit to the people in Renfrewshire. It shows that the annual loss from April 2013 was set to be approximately £17.3m in Renfrewshire. This is projected to rise substantially in 2014 to £19.8m and from April 2015 it is set to be £27.5m. This culminates to a total of £73m from 2013-15.8

Figure 6 below shows the estimated loss per year to each of the 32 local authorities in Scotland from welfare reform. Renfrewshire is estimated to lose £58m per year this equates to £510 per working adult, above the Scottish average of £460. Glasgow is expected to be the worst affected (£620) with Renfrewshire ranking 9th of the 32 local authorities.

Local Authority Estimated Loss £m p.a. Loss per working age adult £ p.a.

Glasgow 259 620Inverclyde 32 600

West Dunbartonshire 35 580Dundee 56 560

North Ayrshire 49 560North Lanarkshire 119 540

East Ayrshire 42 520Clackmannanshire 18 520

Renfrewshire 58 510South Lanarkshire 101 490

South Ayrshire 34 490West Lothian 55 470

Fife 109 460Dumfries and Galloway 43 460

Midlothian 25 460Falkirk 46 450

Argyll and Bute 23 420East Lothian 26 410

Highland 59 400Angus 29 400

Edinburgh 130 390Scottish Borders 28 390Perth and Kinross 35 380

Eilean Siar 6 370Stirling 22 370

East Renfrewshire 20 350Moray 20 340

Orkney Island 5 340East Dumbartonshire 22 330

Aberdeen 50 310Aberdeenshire 48 290

Shetland Islands 4 270Scotland 1,600 460

8 http://www.scottishpovertyforum.org.uk/PCE2v3.pdf, p.30


http://www.scottishpovertyforum.org.uk/PCE2v3.pdf

Figure 6, Data compiled from the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee 5th Report “Report on Local Impact of welfare Reform”. All impacts by 2014-15 except DLA by 2017/18, Incapacity benefits and 1% up-rating by 2015/16.

Timeline of benefit changes:

Apr-13 Housing BenefitHousing benefit changes: Bedroom tax implemented across country. Working age adults get reduction in housing benefit if they have more bedrooms than required.Council Tax ReducuctionReplaced by localised Council Tax Reduction schemes administered by local authorities. For 2013/14, those who already receive CTB will receive the same amount of financial support.Social FundThe discretionary component social fund has been abolished and will now be administered by the Scottish Welfare Fund in local authorities. They make awards of crisis grants and community care grants from this fund.Personal Independence Payment/ Disability Living AllowancePersonal Independence Payment (PIP) introduced in Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside, North East England and North West England. PIP is a new benefit for people who are very ill or disabled. It replaces Disability Living Allowance.Benefit CapPeople of working age have a limit on amount of benefits they can claim. This will be capped at around £26000. Universal CreditNew single benefit replacing most means-tested benefits paid to working age people.

Jun-13 Personal Independence PaymentNo more new claims for DLA to be accepted. Claimants to apply for PIP instead.

Jul-13 Benefit CapNational roll out beginsUniversal CreditStarted in three other pilot areas: Warrington, Wigan and Oldham

Sep-13 Benefit CapRoll out completed

Oct-13 Universal CreditNew Claims for Universal Credit being rolled out across the UK.

Oct-13-16 Disability Living AllowanceSome people getting DLA will be asked to make a new claim for PIP instead. DLA claims will stop if claim for PIP unsuccessful.

2014-17 Universal CreditWorking people on other means tested benefits will gradually be transferred to universal credit.


October 2015 Personal Independence PaymentThe DWP will contact anyone not yet claiming PIP and invite them to make a new claim for PIP.

Figure 7, Data complied from http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_welfare_benefits_reform_e/benefits_changes_to_welfare_benefits_e/benefits_changes_timeline.htm9

Why are people using Foodbanks in Renfrewshire?

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0100200300400500600700800900

Primary reasons for referral 1st April 2013 - 31st March 2014

Figure 8, Data compiled from Trussell trust foodbank data5

Figure 8 above shows the primary reasons for referrals to Renfrewshire Foodbanks from 1st April 2013 until 31st March 2014.

Benefit Delays

The data appears to show that benefit delays were one of the greatest reasons for Foodbank referrals in Renfrewshire. The Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions has a duty to ensure that all claims for benefit are resolved in a reasonable amount of time. The DWP aims to assess the following benefits within a set amount of time:

Income Support - 9 days; Jobseeker's Allowance - 11 days; Employment and Support Allowance - 14 days.10

Means tested benefit delays can have a devastating effect on claimants because the very fact that they are claiming means tested benefits implies they already have very low or nil income. 10

Example: 9 http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_welfare_benefits_reform_e/benefits_changes_to_welfare_benefits_e/benefits_changes_timeline.htm

10 http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/dealing-delays


A service user at Advice Works applied for PIP in November 2013 and was only awarded in February 2014.

Low Income

Foodbanks are used mainly by people who are on benefits or who have run out of money and are on a low income. Local indices of deprivation combined with reports from Social Services confirmed that thousands of people on low incomes hit crisis and struggled to feed themselves and their families as a result. Between 2010 and 2011, the number of people visiting Foodbanks almost doubled to 60,000 adults and children.11 There has been a correlation between the growth in the number of Foodbanks and the recession. Since 2009, the number of Foodbanks has grown from 20 to 400 in the UK. There was also a rise in need as unemployment grew from 2009 onwards.11

The price of food is rising. According to a report by Oxfam, “food prices have risen by 30.5% in the last five years”.12 People are spending more on food, but eating less. Expenditure on food has risen by almost 20% in the last five years, but the volume of food being consumed has fallen by 7%. 12

Benefit changes

Most anecdotal evidence from volunteers and workers in Foodbanks points to changes in the benefit system as one of the main reasons people are turning to Foodbanks.

Job Seeker Allowance claimants are also being subjected to more rigorous sanctions regimes. The new regime was implemented in late 201212, and increased the severity of sanctions for those on Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance.

There are three new categories of sanction: higher, intermediate and lower, depending on the nature of the ‘offence’. 13 Outlined below is the new sanctions regime:

JSA High Level Sanctions Amount Length of Sanction

-Losing a job because of misconduct

-Leaving a job voluntarily

-Refusing or failing to apply for or accept a job

-Failing to participate in mandatory work activity

JSA is Reduced to nil.

May qualify for hardship payments

13, 26 or 156 weeks

JSA Low Level sanctions

Reduced to nil-Failing to participate in interviews or

11 http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the-Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf p.15

12 http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/walking-the-breadline-the-scandal-of-food-poverty-in-21st-century-britain-292978 p.9

13 http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/SPICe_briefing_-_sanctions.pdf p.1


http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/SPICe_briefing_-_sanctions.pdf

http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/walking-the-breadline-the-scandal-of-food-poverty-in-21st-century-britain-292978

http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the-Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf

http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the-Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf

schemes to help you find work.

-Failing to carry out a jobseeker direction

-Refusing or failing to apply for or accept a training or employment programme

May qualify for hardship payments

4-13 weeks

ESA or IS Sanctions ESA Reduced by £72.40 p/w

IS Reduced by £14.48 p/w

Until claimant participates in the interview or comply with work related activity. For ESA an additional fixed period of 1, 2 or 4 weeks is added depending on whether 1st, 2nd or 3rd time.

Failing to take part in a work focused interview.

Failing to carry out work related activity.

The number of ESA sanctions in Scotland has been increasing since 2011-12. Figure 9 below outlines the recent exponential growth in ESA sanctions. In the year April 2012-March 2013, this was 1208. By year ended March 2014, this had risen to 2307. This is an increase of more than 90%.

11-12 12-13 13-140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

ESA Sanctions - Scotland

Figure 9,ESA Sanction decisions “adverse” 2011/12 – 2013/14. Data compiled from DWP Stat-Xplore website.

Number of ESA Sanctions (Renfrewshire):


11-12 12-13 13-140

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

ESA Sanctions - Renfrewshire

Figure 10,ESA Sanction decisions “adverse” 2011/12 – 2013/14. Data compiled from DWP Stat-Xplore website.

The number of ESA sancations in Renfrewshire has also incresed from 2011-12 to 2013-14. Figure 10 shows that similarly to the national picture ESA sanctions have incresed greatly from 2012/13 to 2013/14. It should be noted that the first six months of 2014/15 have shown a decrease from the previous six months.

Figure 11 below shows the number of JSA Sanctions in Scotland have risen overall since the new sanction regime was implemented in October 2012, However it should be noted that the first six months of 2014/15 show a fall on the same period in the previous year.

11-12 12-13 13-140

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

JSA Sanctions - Scotland

Figure 11, JSA Sanction decisions “adverse” 2011/12– 2013/14. Data compiled from DWP Stat-Xplore website.


11-12 12-13 13-140

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

JSA Sanctions - Renfrewshire

Figure 12, JSA Sanction decisions “adverse” 2011/12– 2013/14. Data compiled from DWP Stat-Xplore website.

Between 2012-13 and 2013-14 the number of JSA Sanctions in Renfrewshire rose more sharply than across Scotland. The number of JSA Sanctions across Scotland has risen by nearly 10.9% but in Renfrewshire the number has risen by 53%. Again it should be noted that the figure for the first six months of 2014/15 is lower than the same period in the previous year.

An example of the impact of Sanctions is noted below – based on a client experience who was assisted by Advice Works.

Client was doing a full time 4 week work trial and was sanctioned for not actively seeking for 2 weeks and for the second two weeks for not being available for work. The client had to rely on family members for financial support and had to utilise the foodbank to get through. The work trial resulted in a permanent job but by the end of the 4 weeks he was struggling financially to sustain the employment opportunity.

People who are sanctioned are often expected to go without money or an income for anywhere between 2 and 156 weeks.

Advice Works often experience clients who are unable to undertake the requisite components of a Claimant commitment, rather than being unwilling to do so.

Who is using the Renfrewshire Foodbank?Who is using the Renfrewshire Foodbank?

Gender

The vast majority of those presenting to The Foodbank are male. From 2084 people referred by Advice Works in 2013-2014, 1299 (62.3%) of these were men and 785 (37.7%) were women.


Over the six months to September 2014, 40 people have had more than three vouchers from the Foodbank. Out of these 40 people, 33 were men.

Single males are over represented in statistics from the Foodbank. Most statistics show that women are more likely to live in poverty than men. However, the rate of poverty amongst single men and women with no children is very similar.14

Age

The largest proportion of those being referred to Foodbanks were from the 25-64 age group. Out of 4767 people who were referred to the Renfrewshire Foodbank, 4014 fell into the 25-64 age group.

There may be many reasons for this. Those in the 25-64 age group are more likely to have children than those in the 16-24 age group. 932 children were fed in the 25-64 age bracket in 2013-14 compared with 86 children in the 16-24 age group and 2 children in the over 65 age group.

Family Type

The majority of people who were referred to the Foodbank were single adults. Out of 2968 vouchers issued to Foodbank users in 2013-14, 1952 of these were single adults. This was 69% of the total number of vouchers given out by organisations. Single people are more likely to have a very low income than those in families. Families are more likely to be in receipt of benefits such as child benefit and child tax credits which boost their income-single people are not entitled to those benefits.

Location

1336

470

521434

415

346

339

282

226

110 37 23Paisley North WestNFARenfrew South and GallowhillPaisley East & Ralston Paisley South WestPaisley South Johnstone South, Elderslie & HowwoodHouston, Crosslee & LinwoodJohnstone North, Kilbarchan and LochwinnochRenfrew NorthErskine & InchinnanBishopton, Bridge of Weir & Langbank

Figure 13, Compiled from Trussell Trust foodbank data 15

Ward Number of food vouchers

%of people who are income deprived (2005)

% of people who are employment deprived (2008)

% of children who are

14 http://poverty.org.uk/07/index.shtml?7

15 Trussell Trust Food bank Data


issued living in poverty

Paisley North and West 1336 27 19 31

Renfrew South and Gallowhill

521 19 16 25

Paisley East and Ralston 434 13 13 18

Paisley South West 415 15 12 21

Paisley South 346 15 12 17Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood

339 17 15 22

Houston, Crosslee and Linwood

282 12 10 16

Johnstone North, Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch

226 17 14 20

Renfrew North 110 13 13 17Erskine and Inchinnan 37 7 8 9Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank

23 6 6 7

Figure 14, Compiled from Trussell Trust foodbank data, The Scottish index of multiple deprivation and Poverty in Renfreshire15,16,17

Figure 14 shows the number of food vouchers in each multi member ward in Renfrewshire, the percentage of income deprived people, the percentage of employment deprived people and the percentage of children living in poverty in the multi member ward. From this it can be concluded:

Areas where a high number of food vouchers have been distributed are more likely to have a higher percentage of people who are income deprived and employment deprived and also have a higher percentage of children living in poverty. For example, 1336 were given out to people in Paisley North West, where 27% of people are income deprived, 19% of people are employment deprived and 31% of children are living in poverty.

Areas where a lower number of food vouchers have been distributed are more likely to have a lower percentage of people who are income and employment deprived. They are also likely to have less children living in poverty. For example, in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, there were only 23 food vouchers claimed during 2013-14, where 6% of people are income deprived, 6% of employment deprived and 7% of children live in poverty.

Benefits and tax credits 16-24 25-49 50-64Paisley North West 21.6 24.9 37.3

16 http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/a465f771-cd35-463c-8794-7044a4c76be2/fcs-TPCPovertyRenfDetailed.pdf?MOD=AJPERES p.22


http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/a465f771-cd35-463c-8794-7044a4c76be2/fcs-TPCPovertyRenfDetailed.pdf?MOD=AJPERES


Renfrew South and Gallowhill 20.4 23.1 24.6Paisley East & Ralston 16.3 17.2 20.7

Paisley South West 15.5 17.8 20.8Paisley South 17.2 16.1 20.3

Johnstone South, Elderslie & Howwood 16 20.1 22Renfrew North 12.9 16.4 19.7

Erskine and Inchinnan 9.1 10 14Johnstone North, Kilbarchan & Lochwinnoch 19.1 18.1 22

Houston, Crosslee & Linwood 13.6 14.9 16Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank 7.6 8.4 10.1

Figure 15, Compiled from the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation17

This table shows the percentage of benefits claimants by age in each council ward. Areas where there is a higher number of people claiming key benefits have a high number of food voucher distribution, for example, Paisley North West where over a third (37.3) of those in the 50-64 age bracket are claiming a key benefit. It must be noted that these figures include all working age benefits, and not just out of work benefits, including tax credits and child benefit. 17,18

Causes of poverty in RenfrewshireIn terms of income, Renfrewshire has pockets of serious deprivation and, conversely, there are areas that are very affluent and prosperous. The median male wage in Renfrewshire in 2013 was £572.20 and the average female wage was £450.10. This is above the Scottish average earnings.19 The percentage of income received by the lowest three income deciles in 2011/12 was 14%.19 There is a stark variation in car ownership- a frequently used marker of income inequality-between some multi member wards in Renfrewshire. In Paisley North West, it is on average 0.69 per person. This rises to 1.44 per person in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank.20 It is very clear that there are massive income inequalities across Renfrewshire and this may explain the levels of poverty in respective multi member wards.

Unemployment

Employment in Renfrewshire is moving towards a more service and technical based economy, with more jobs concentrated in the service industry, professional 17 http://www.sns.gov.uk/Reports/Report.aspx?ReportId=2&AreaTypeId=LA:Local Authority&AreaId=S12000038

18 Trussell Trust Food Bank Data

19 http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/a465f771-cd35-463c-8794-7044a4c76be2/fcs-TPCPovertyRenfDetailed.pdf?MOD=AJPERES, p.8







and technical groups and less jobs concentrated in manufacturing, process and plant, skilled trades and administrative and secretarial work.

Between 2008 and 2011 employment in Renfrewshire generally decreased, as it did in most local authorities across Scotland. Renfrewshire’s employment rate decreased by a higher percentage than the average rate in Scotland out of all but one of their peer local authority areas.21 However, Renfrewshire has bounced back experiencing the 2nd highest % increase in employment of all local authority areas in Scotland. However, Renfrewshire’s rate of economic inactivity has also rose in recent years.21

Between July 2013 and July 2014, the average rate of unemployment in Renfrewshire was 8.1%. This was 1% above the Scottish average rate of 7.1% and above the UK rate of 6.8%.22

Low Income

“Work does not always guarantee a way out of poverty. 58% of children who live below the poverty line have at least 1 parent in work.”23 Low wages, part time work, insecure work, rising living costs and high childcare costs mean that many families where even two parents work, are living in poverty. For many parents, these jobs offer little prospect of progression and have permanently low pay. “As a result, many low-pay jobs are nothing more than poverty traps”.23

Distributors of Food VouchersIn 2013/14, the top ten distributors in Renfrewshire were:

1. Advice Works 2. Job Centre Plus3. George Street Project4. RDS5. CGC Paisley Crisis6. Paisley Area Team7. CAB8. REEM (Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities)9. Paisley South Housing Association10. Lorretto Care

Source: Trussell trust foodbank data5

Each distributor has a slightly different criteria and referral process for giving out food vouchers. It is generally care professionals who identify a need for a Foodbank voucher, but more often than not, a service user generally ask for one themselves. In the Renfrewshire area, there are 79 organisations who distribute food vouchers5. However, many of these organisations may only give out one or


22 http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157429/subreports/ea-time-series/report.aspx?

23 http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/stop-work-poverty




two food vouchers per year. This report will focus on the top ten distributors who have given out the most food vouchers.

Advice Works

Advice Works operate a dedicated phone line linked with Renfrewshire Council’s Scottish Welfare Fund. An advisor applies a diagnostic approach, enquiring around their current financial situation, offering assistance with benefit and debt advice and establishing if there are any grants or charitable applications which could be made on their behalf. A food voucher may be issued if required. Callers can also access the main helpline to speak with an Income Advisor should they require specific benefit or debt advice.

Service users are usually restricted to three vouchers, but can usually claim more if there is an established need.

Advice Works is the biggest distributor in Renfrewshire. In 2013-14, Advice Works distributed 1106 vouchers, feeding 1369 people. In the first six months of 2014-15 (April – September), Advice Works have distributed 955 vouchers feeding 1296 people. Given that this has only been in the first six months of financial year 2014-15, this could be indicative of a rise in numbers this year given that there is only a difference of 150 vouchers given out over the whole of the year 2013-14 and between April to September 2014-15.

Advice Works has brought in many measures to try and alleviate the issue of food voucher reliance, placing two income advisors at both the Johnstone and Paisley Foodbank. It is felt that this has been successful. Advice Works has also encouraged advisors receiving Foodbank referrals to check our information systems and establish where there is involvement with a member of Advice Works staff. Staff are notified and the client is contacted to establish if further assistance can be provided.

Job Centre Plus

Job Centre Plus issues vouchers on a needs only basis. A claimant must be in financial hardship because a benefit claim is still being processed but not in payment or a short term benefit advance has been refused. The claimant must then ask the job centre for help and support. Each Job Centre plus has its own dedicated officer in charge of dealing with the local Foodbank.

In Renfrewshire, local Job Centres are the second largest distributors of food vouchers. In 2013-14, the local Job Centre Plus gave out 583 Foodbank “signposting slips”.5

George Street Service

The George Street Service is a multi agency service that aims to prevent homelessness or to mitigate its effects. Service users seek food vouchers due to


homelessness or destitution. They receive food vouchers if they ask for one. They are allowed three in a year.

Renfrewshire Drugs Service

RDS makes many referrals to Advice works to help maximise their income. For clients with children they are referred to local area teams because it is a concern if clients have children and cannot feed them. RDS doesn’t currently maintain statistics around this.

Paisley Area Team

The main reason people require Foodbank vouchers is due to destitution. When people run out of money or experience a crisis and they don't have enough food to keep them going.

No specific statistics are maintained around this however the writer discussed this with the finance team. The team tend to try and give out their own food packages where possible.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau

Citizen’s Advice issue a food voucher when a client presents with a benefit problem. The CAB must phone or contact the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure the clients benefit will not be paid. Renfrewshire Citizen’s Advice do not issue vouchers for any other reason.

REEM

REEM stands for “Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities” and aims to promote inclusivity in the Renfrewshire area for people from immigrant communities. REEM gives out Foodbank vouchers.

Food vouchers are distributed to people who use REEM because they face benefit delays due to being migrants and often have no source of income. They also face significant delays in getting jobs because they lack English skills.

The changes to benefits for migrants at the beginning of this year have also had a significant impact on the amount of migrants who are claiming benefits. New migrants cannot claim benefits in the first three months after arriving in the UK. Migrants claiming JSA can no longer claim housing benefit if it is a new claim. Jobseekers will have to undergo a habitual residency test if they want to claim JSA. EEA nationals will only be able to claim JSA for six months after the habitual residency test.

How does the foodbank link in with other support strategies?


The following information has been collated from interviews and conversations with members of the public who have sought assistance with a foodbank voucher from Advice Works.

The Scottish Welfare Fund

Most Foodbank users have an awareness of the Scottish Welfare Fund and have used it for assistance in the past. For many users of the Foodbank- it is their last hope if they have exhausted all three crisis grants- many are referred to Advice Works directly from the Scottish Welfare Fund Team. However, there are a few Foodbank users who were unaware of the services the Scottish Welfare Fund offered in regards to emergency financial assistance.

Wider Support Agencies

Many Foodbank users actively engage with other support agencies such as Advice Works, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, housing, social work department, Renfrewshire Drug Service and many others. Foodbank users tend to be grateful of the support they receive from these organisations. People were also extremely grateful of the support they received from the Foodbank and some Foodbank users have even enquired about giving up their time to volunteer with the Foodbank. Many Foodbank users felt better about their situation after speaking to someone who appeared to be on their side. They were also grateful of the signposting they received to other agencies such as Advice Works.

Other support mechanisms

Borrowing and debt appear to be a common reason for Foodbank usage. These can be historic debts such as crisis loans and budgeting loans from the DWP which are deducted from benefits leaving many Foodbank users short of funds. Door step and informal lending such as Provident and pay day lenders. Although many Foodbank users have family and friends who are supportive, they are often in a similar financial predicament themselves and can offer very little in terms of financial assistance. However, there are many Foodbank users who can rely on their families for other support that is not necessarily financial but quite beneficial, for example, assisting with transport to and from the Foodbank.

Other Issues Facing Foodbank Users

For most, if not all Foodbank users, they have approached the Foodbank as a last resort to an immediate, ongoing, financial crisis. This often means that they have very little to no money and are not due to be paid any for a significant amount of time. This means that they often have no money left for essentials like gas, electricity and food. Many are assisted by Advice Works to complete grant applications from organisations such as British Gas Energy Trust. Applications can be completed to assist with clearing arrears or grants to provide other financial assistance. For those facing chronic health problems such as Cancer a Macmillan Grant application can be made to reduce financial crisis.


The writer found that some are more likely to prioritise debt and borrowing when they are paid rather than pay essentials such as gas, electricity and food. There are specialised money advisors who can provide money advice and budgeting advice and negotiate with creditors to reduce debts and offer token payments. Simple debt and budgeting advice can be provided at drop in. This means then that service users can prioritise essentials like rent, gas and electricity and food without worrying about debt payments- knowing that this is being taken care of.

Key Findings The number of people turning to Foodbanks for emergency food

assistance has risen dramatically over the last year.4 Advice Works have made the highest number of referrals in

Renfrewshire.5 A significant number of people have been referred from Job

Centre Plus.5

The number of benefit sanctions has been rising since 2012.14

Around two thirds of referrals seem to be related to some kind of issue with benefits. (~50% nationally4, ~60% in Renfrewshire5)

Welfare reform has had a significant impact on the people of Renfrewshire.

Those who engage with advice services can significantly improve their financial situation by addressing, debts, budgeting and benefit issues.

Recommendations Advice Works is already working well to alleviate the use of Foodbanks in the Renfrewshire area.

In 2012-2013, the number of people turning to foodbanks was 346,992.4 In 2013-2014 this rose to 913, 138- almost 1 million people.4

The primary referral cause across the UK was because of benefit delays. The second primary cause was because of low income.The third was due to benefit changes.4

Therefore, the following recommendations have been reached:

Assisting the foodbank to formalise a process of referring to other agencies which could direct people to other advice agencies to assist their financial


situation. Where volunteers complete a formal referral form detailing the issue thus ensuring that the person receives correctly targeted advice.

Ensure literature is readily accessible detailing advice services, contacts, outreach, drop in services and other agencies within Renfrewshire which could help those approaching the Foodbank. Which should detail support services and points of contact.

Provide targeted training to the Foodbank volunteers regarding Welfare Reform and the importance of seeking assistance. Provide an overview regarding making claims, mandatory reconsiderations and appeals. By providing targeted training this should provide a basic knowledge and enable Foodbank staff to identify when a referral should be made to outside agencies.

Advice Works has regular liaison with the Foodbank to keep abreast of issues affecting vulnerable people and raising awareness with volunteers in terms of legislative changes etc.

Supporting the Foodbank to establish a referral based IT system.


Sources1. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf

2. “Emergency Use Only” http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-report

3. The Trussell Trust “How We started” http://www.trusselltrust.org/how -we-started

4. Stats-http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats

5. Trussell Trust Foodbank Data

6. http://www.scottishpovertyforum.org.uk/PCE2v3.pdf, p.30

7. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf, p.43

8. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/Reports/wrR-14-05w.pdf, p.3

9. http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_welfare_benefits_reform_e/benefits_changes_to_welfare_benefits_e/benefits_changes_timeline.htm

10. http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/dealing-delays

11. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Welfare_Reform_Committee/SPICe_briefing_-_sanctions.pdf p.1

12. http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/walking-the-breadline-the-scandal-of-food-poverty-in-21st-century-britain-292978 p.9

13. http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the- Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf p.15

14. http://poverty.org.uk/07/index.shtml?7



17. http://www.sns.gov.uk/Reports/Report.aspx?ReportId=2&AreaTypeId=LA:Local Authority&AreaId=S12000038

18. http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/a465f771-cd35-463c-8794-7044a4c76be2/fcs-TPCPovertyRenfDetailed.pdf?MOD=AJPERES p.22

19. http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/stop-work-poverty

20. http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157429/subreports/ea-time-series/report.aspx?

21. http://www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/a465f771-cd35-463c-8794-7044a4c76be2/fcs-TPCPovertyRenfDetailed.pdf?MOD=AJPERES, p.11






http://poverty.org.uk/07/index.shtml?7

http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the-%20Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf

http://www.trusselltrust.org/resources/documents/Our%20work/Lambie-(2011)-The-Trussell-Trust-Foodbank-Network---Exploring-the-%20Growth-of-Foodbanks-Across-the-UK.pdf









http://www.scottishpovertyforum.org.uk/PCE2v3.pdf

http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-report


April 2015 Foodbank Report

Documents

Transcript of April 2015 Foodbank Report