By Citizens Advice Oxfordshire helped over 700 people per day during the height of the pandemic.
Citizens Advice is a service which provides advice on housing benefit eligibility, money management and debt solutions. The charity also challenges and appeals housing benefit decisions and helps with homelessness applications.
The four Citizens Advice offices in Oxfordshire, West Oxfordshire, Oxford, North Oxfordshire & South Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire South & Vale, all exist to provide free, confidential, independent advice in Oxfordshire and they are all members of Citizens Advice, the national charity.
During the last three months of the Coronavirus pandemic, Citizens Advice has reported a dramatic increase in the number of local vulnerable people seeking advice to help them cope with the pandemic.
Al Bell, Director of Citizens Advice Oxford said:
“We have seen an unprecedented increase in the number of people asking for advice on benefits and redundancy. We are also worried about those who will be impacted by the tapering off of the furlough scheme. Our charity needs to raise funds to keep supporting the thousands of people who need its help each year. In addition to applying for grants, Citizens Advice Oxfordshire relies heavily on donations to ensure everyone who walks through the door or calls the charity can be helped. Every little bit helps us to help someone in need.”
The Citizens Advice team have had a huge increase in the amount of Universal Credit advice provided, and calls regarding redundancy support and employment related issues have doubled. In addition, advice and support for Benefits and Universal Credit , Housing, and Health and Community care have all increased, and the team is now starting to see increases in the need for Debt advice.
Tom’s story is a unique one, and demonstrates how valuable this service is to local community members:
Tom lives in 3-bedroom private rental accommodation paying £1150 per month. He has three children and shares 50% custody with his ex- wife who retains the children related benefit. He resigned from his last job as an adviser as the administration costs charged by his affiliated organisation exceeded his income when Coronavirus prevented normal business. Tom has no savings.
With debts of about £10,000, he was now unable to pay his bills as he found himself unexpectedly with no income and no employment due to Coronavirus. He had applied for Universal Credit but was refused due to receipt of his last income in April 20. He managed to agree 3 month payment holidays for his major debts and credit cards.
CAWO’s Action and Outcome
CAWO carried out a full benefit check which confirmed Tom should be eligible for £1116/m Universal Credit (UC) including housing element. CAWO spoke to Job Centre Plus which led to a UC re- assessment and within a week Tom was paid the additional housing element of £703.
Tom was very short of food and suffers from a gluten allergy. CAWO arranged for him to attend the foodbank where a quantity of gluten free food was repeatedly made available. CAWO also supported Tom with the completion of the forms for Discretionary Housing Payment and Council Tax Reduction from West Oxfordshire District Council.
As Tom had been self-employed over the last three years. He was entitled to the Self Employed Income Support Scheme to help eligible people during the Coronavirus situation.
HMRC advised that he is eligible for a payment of £2547. CAWO advised Tom about the most appropriate way to split this income among his priority creditors including his rent arrears. Regarding employment, Tom had the option of returning to his previous employer. CAWO suggested he negotiate to reduce the administration costs which had caused him to resign. After a few weeks, Tom came to a satisfactory arrangement allowing him to resume working in early June 20.
Tom has also now settled with the help of ACAS in a claim against a new employment offer which stalled at lockdown. They are paying one week’s salary which equates to £769 minus tax & national insurance for withdrawing a job offer.
Tom was very grateful for the help and support he received during a very difficult time when he was feeling very low and struggled with prioritising his issues. He says:
“The support was brilliant. They arranged a foodbank voucher. Witney Foodbank were incredible and even arranged gluten free food for me. I spoke to CAWO every week for five weeks. It was my lifeline and helped me get through five weeks of turmoil. Step by step, and week by week, things got a little better. They calmed me down and helped me get on top of what needed to be done next. My life is back to normal. I have my old job back. I didn’t expect that level of professionalism. CAWO gave me all the advice I needed and the kick up the backside to get on top on my debts.”
How you can help
In the last year, Citizens Advice helped 27,000 people across Oxfordshire with 78,000 issues. At its peak this year, Citizens Advice Oxfordshire experienced 700 calls a day (triple their average) to the Adviceline. It is now expecting a second peak in demand as people are asked to return to work and debts and evictions can once again be pursued.
Citizens Advice is now working with Jack FM to raise much-needed funds to ensure the charity can continue to be there for everyone.
Hamish Law, Head of Sales & Digital at JACK said:
“Within our initiative to give £100,000 of free advertising to worthy local organisations the application from Citizens Advice Oxfordshire shone through. The role that Citizens Advice have played, and will continue to do, is incredibly important and the help they give to many thousands of people across Oxfordshire can be life changing. As a local radio group, we were delighted to be able to give Citizens Advice a campaign on our stations and help further promote their key service and help.”
For Citizens Advice general telephone advice or to donate, visit caox.org.co.uk.\
Photo by Berkeley Communications on Unsplash
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