REAL LIFE REFORM

TPAS Regional ConferenceNorth

28th January 2015

REAL LIFE REFORM

WE ARE :

Sarah Knight Housing Services

Manager – LYHA

Jackie Gillen Neighbourhood

Services OfficerAND Trained RLR

researcher

LYHA are: Co-founders of RLR Joint writers

TODAY sharing…• About RLR• Update on research

& campaign• Your views on what

next..

[Initially] 18 month research to understand the impact of welfare reforms on social housing tenants in the North

Intensive study working with up to 100 household tracking their journey & experiences. “Ethnography” understanding

and sharing real experiences

Campaign to raise awareness

“Customer insight” – information & experience to help shape how landlords adapt & respond

WHAT IS REAL LIFE REFORM?

Leeds Alliance members PARTICIPATING:- Unity Housing- Connect housing

Aims of the Research

Raise awareness of real experiences

To see: If welfare reforms are delivering

what they set out to achieve. Impact on people and communities And understand the unintended [or

not] consequences

Busting myths & changing perceptions! Alternative to “Benefit Street” Real story of social housing tenants

Show a journey over time Capturing experiences& telling /

sharing a story Lobbying & influencing

NOT TRYING TO ACHIEVE

Not to prove a point Not about PR Not about sob stories! Not about the landlord Not political

ENSURING TENANTS & COMMUNITIES HAVE A VOICE

In September 2013

Lisa & Andy attended the Northern Conference at round one

Attending again to share latest update

It reflects my experience and some of my

neighbours. It’s real

RLR has given me a voice and confidence to speak out. I don’t feel as

lonely or isolated now

I thought my situation was bad, then I read others. Its helped me

cope

OUR JOURNEY

June 2013 our 1st meeting Scope Ethics statement Surveys Diaries Identifying case studies Training, support &

confidence building Created a network Started the journey

REPORTS PUBLISHED1. September 20132. December 20133. March 20144. July 20145. October 2014

Completed 466 interviews

70-100 case study households Unemployed Employed Unable to work

Quarterly research & interviews Designed questionnaire & methodology Ethical Statement Experience & trends Front line staff trained as research facilitators NOT a housing survey!

Quarterly Reports & Campaigns Stay true to the results Case studies Trends & real experiences shared

THE FINDINGS….What does the study tell us so far…

Food & Shopping £3.28 per person per day is

average on food Two thirds of households spend

less than £40 per week on food compared

24.7% buy their shopping in the “cheapest”  places. A 400% increase since the start of the study.

24% reduction in use of supermarkets since round four. Less than 1 in 2 households now shop in a supermarket

ONE in FIVE use a foodbank 

Fuel People cannot afford fuel 50.6% now spend less than £20

per week on the fuel 25.38 per week is the average

spend on fuel: the lowest recorded in the study

Debts 74.3% of households are in debt Average debt is £3,931 Debt levels have increased by £1,568

= 69% since the start Average debts have increased by

£683 this an average of £52 new borrowing each week

48.1% do not know when or will never be able to repay their debt

71% of households are now worried about getting into more debt

Money Left After bills 4 in 10 households have nothing left

each week, the highest recorded in the study

Money left per day: £6.10 for full time employed £4 per day for part time employed £3.26 per day for unemployed  Showing that work really isn’t paying

for the majority AND that in work poverty is increasing

The lack of food and the right

food is impacting on my

health

I in 5 use a food bank

I choose every day whether to eat of heat [or pay my

debts]

I should eat better but cannot afford

it, local shops have no fresh veg and cant afford to

go to Tesco

I wont be able to manage both heating & food in the winter

Staying upstairs in the day as its easier to stay

warm & limits the heating

I cant afford to run a bath

I have to pay the loan shark

each week because I use him to survive

I pay off what I get in priority debts 1st

to make sure we have a roof over

our heads

I borrow from Peter to pay Paul

… it’s the only way I can cope

I will never pay my debt off, I will be dead before I can

Families are reporting increases in levels of stress and depression.

88% of households are worried welfare changes will impact their health and wellbeing

Parents report they are going without to protect their children’s health

Parents report worries that bullying may increase

Make my fortnightly

prescriptions last a month as I cant

afford to get them as often as I

should

I get energy drinks from my

GP as I cant afford to eat

properly

Have increased my medication

by 100%

Sometimes I feel like I

wanted to kill myself, its that

bad

Suffer from stress and when things go badly

wrong I get upset & suicidal

77% of families report believe the changes will impact on their neighbourhood

People will be desperate

and robberies will go up

More people are going to have to move because they cant afford to live here, those that remain

will not have spare money to make the gardens and

outside spaces nice

My neighbourhood

is a tsunami of fear

We have a small village with

community spirit – will split up families &

friends who will have to move

Many respondents are critical of Job Centre’s efforts to help them find work.

Sanctions Low success rates Cost of interviews &

attendance at JCP

Five reports detailing the results of interviews completed & published since June 2013,

Data and case studies have been used by many boards, committees and forums to raise awareness and inform their decision-making

Significant impact in raising awareness in the media and on Twitter. #5thRLR reached 2.5 million Twitter users.

Since the start of the campaign, media coverage has included Inside Housing, 24 Housing, The Guardian, national ITV news, local and regional print, broadcast and online outlets – has reached more than 11 million people

Direct influence and reference in Parliamentary debates; every report distributed to MPs, as well as councillors

A meeting with the APPG [All Party Parliamentary Group] for the North to focus on welfare reform and RLR used as evidence by the APPG and Commission on Poverty

13 Hansard references to RLR in Parliamentary debates Tenant case studies shared with the media have portrayed very

different, more balanced stories when compared with TV programmes such as Benefits Street

Health authorities and CCGs have referenced the reports and contacted us for more information

Third sector organisations have used the report and cited it as “excellent”, including Poverty Truth Challenge

Religious leaders, including the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, have used our evidence to support their campaigns

Job Centre Plus has used employment findings and talked to us locally about improving the experience

Leading research organisations, including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Young Foundation, have referenced the campaign, endorsed our findings and are keen to collaborate further

TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service) has endorsed the campaign and are running sessions again in 2015

TPAS delegates said it reflected their experiences and gave them a voice.

More than 80% of RLR participants have stayed with the campaign. Many in round five told us it was making a difference.

YOU HAVE STAYED THE DISTANCE!

WHERE ARE WE AT NOW?

REPORT SIX 69 interviews

completed in November & December 2014

Analysis being completed

Report due to be published March 2015

18 MONTH LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Initially said 18 months study

Reflections & summary report due April / May

It will capture the: Journey Findings Lessons learnt Reach and impact – the

difference its made Plans for the future

Plan A – 18 month longitudinal study

18 MONTH LONGITUDINAL STUDY Initially said 18 months study Reflections & summary report due May It will capture the:

Journey Findings Lessons learnt Reach and impact – the difference its made Plans for the future

WHERE NEXT….

There is support & request to continue beyond 6 reports…[& join]

RLR Steering Group believe as a study and campaign we should continue.

Build on our strengths Continue to provide

invaluable insight Reflect roll our of UC Lead the way in

“ethnography” Collaborate with others Provide data and insight in

lead up to and after elections

Stay true to principles of RLR

1. What do you want RLR to focus on?

2. How do we ensure we build on “being the voice of social housing tenants?”

3. How do we get more people and communities to speak out?