THE MONEY AND MENTAL HEALTH - charity has launched a new campaign: Set Up To Fail. The campaign calls for urgent action from the government to fix design flaws in the Universal Credit system to ensure that anyone who needs help with Universal Credit can get it, instead of being set up to fail by the system.

This comes on the back of new research showing that around 1.3 million people experiencing high levels of mental distress are currently receiving or applying for Universal Credit. The charity’s research shows that without support, many people with common symptoms of mental health problems –  such as difficulties understanding complex information and remembering appointments – struggle to deal with the ongoing admininstration and bureaucracy required to get Universal Credit payments. This includes filling in complex forms, dealing with correspondence from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and appealing decisions about their benefits.

This leaves people at risk of being sanctioned by the DWP, or being cut off from Universal Credit payments altogether. It also causes unnecessary anguish for those who are already struggling with their mental health and for their carers. Money and Mental Health estimates that hundreds of thousands of those experiencing high levels of mental distress may struggle to get the support they need with Universal Credit.

The research shows that the Universal Credit system is setting vulnerable people up to fail because to nominate someone to support them, they have to navigate processes which are as complex and unclear as those for which they are trying to get help..

In a survey of over 230 people with mental health problems who have claimed Universal Credit, over half (57 per cent) said they have needed help from family or friends to manage their Universal Credit account. Just over a quarter (27 per cent) said they need that help always or often, and yet only one in ten (10 per cent) has managed to gain permission for someone to help regularly.

Specific problems which make it hard for people to get help with Universal Credit include:

• The DWP does not advertise that people can give permission to a loved one to help manage their Universal Credit account, or what the process is for setting that up through the Universal Credit website.
• To nominate a loved one as a regular helper, the claimant needs to tell DWP details of every single task they might need help with, and every piece of information they want to share, but without any prompts or guidance.
• In theory, people can also call the DWP to explain what help they need from a loved one, but this is not a viable option for many of those with mental health problems. Money and Mental Health’s research shows that more than half (54 per cent) of UK adults who have had mental health problems say they have severe difficulties in using the phone, often leading to panic attacks, heart palpitations and spiralling anxiety.

Gary, who took part in the charity’s research, said: “In the last year I was made redundant after being with a company for more than 23 years, and all the stress and worry has just come to the surface. I found the process of managing Universal Credit just horrendous and tough to follow, nothing is ever explained to you. At the moment I find it tough to deal with people as it’s hard to talk.

“I can’t deal with the messages from the DWP myself, I need my wife’s help, but we can’t set it up for her to receive notifications about the account. We’ve filled all the forms in but it feels like a trap door assessment, if you answer something slightly wrong you fall through and that’s it, they’ll take the money away. It’s like the system’s designed to trip you up to fail.’

Martin Lewis, Chair and Founder of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “It sounds like a scene from a spoof. People who are entitled to Universal Credit, sometimes due to mental health problems, which impact their ability to fill in forms or process complex information, are allowed to nominate someone to help them with the admin needed to keep receiving benefits. Yet to do that, they must go through a complex process which requires them to do the exact things they need help with in the first place. If they don’t manage it, they ultimately risk being sanctioned or losing all financial help.

“I don’t believe this is a deliberate attempt to set people up to fail. Yet that is the practical outcome for some. This is one Universal Credit problem the government can easily fix, by providing people with the right advice on how to nominate a loved one to help them, and by making the process to do it much easier, simpler and user-friendly. And with more and more people likely to move on to Universal Credit when the furlough scheme ends in September, there is no time to waste. We’re calling on the government to act now so that everyone can get the help they need with Universal Credit.”

The Set Up To Fail campaign is calling on government to simplify the process which people have to complete to get support from a loved one with Universal Credit by:

• Providing people with clearer advice on what information they need to share with the DWP to get support from a loved one, and the correct process for doing so through the Universal Credit website.
• Making this online process much more accessible and user-friendly, by adding prompts and drop down menus for guidance.
• Giving people more flexible options to share information about their Universal Credit account with loved ones – for example, the option to give a friend or relative view-only access to your Universal Credit account, or to allow them to get notifications about the account.

The report makes a series of recommendations to government; relatively straightforward changes that could make a big difference in ensuring that people can get help from loved ones with managing their Universal Credit account, instead of being set up to fail.

Money and Mental Health’s Set Up To Fail campaign has been backed by eight national charities from across the mental health and advice sectors, including Mind, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Rethink Mental Illness, Turn 2 Us, the Money Charity and Advice UK.

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ALCOHOL ABUSE - Are you drinking too much? 

Almost half of UK adults (49%) who have either been made redundant or are in the process of redundancy are drinking more than they usually would have prior to the pandemic, latest research from Drinkaware reveals. This is more than twice the national average (20%). This group, although a small sample of the overall research^[1], may well grow as furlough ends.

The proportion of this group now drinking more has increased from 38% to 49% since December 2020.

The poll also found two thirds (66%) currently drinking at high-risk levels – more than 34 units of alcohol a week for women and more than 50 for men - are drinking more than they usually would have prior to the pandemic. More than three in 10 high-risk drinkers (31%) report drinking “much more”, compared to 5% among all UK adults.

 As UK lockdown restrictions continue to be relaxed Drinkaware, the alcohol education charity which has tracked the Nation’s drinking habits since the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, is calling for alcohol harm to be recognised as a public health priority. There should be particular focus given to certain groups, including those affected by redundancy and furlough, because of the ongoing drinking patterns that has been seen in Drinkaware’s previous data.

Additionally, four-in-ten (39%) of UK adults who have been furloughed are drinking more than they usually would have prior to the pandemic – almost twice the national average (20%). This has remained fairly consistent with December 2020.

Overall, we have seen an increased polarisation in drinking habits from December 2020 to April 2021, with a higher proportion of UK adults reporting either drinking more (20% in April compared to 16% in December) or less (22% in April, compared to 19% in December) than they would have usually prior to the pandemic. And one in ten parents with under 18s (10%) report drinking much more than they usually would have - twice the national average (5%) - and this is consistent with December (9%), suggesting habits are becoming ingrained.

Drinkaware’s Evidence and Impact Director Annabelle Bonus said: “Our survey shows that there are clear differences in the drinking habits across certain groups of the UK population, signalling a clear need for targeted action and appropriate support.

“It is concerning that the proportion of adults drinking more since the start of the pandemic has increased from December to April and we must ensure that people drinking more since lockdown began get the help and support that they need if we are to reverse this trend, preventing further harm being caused by alcohol.

“As well as the need for greater priority within public health strategies, employers have a crucial role to play in continuing to support those who struggled to balance work and family responsibilities in the pandemic. There is also a need for appropriate alcohol advice and support to be available to those out of work.”

Family circumstances were also revealed as another important factor in drinking patterns. Research revealed that almost one third (33%) of UK parents with a child under 18 years are drinking more that they usually would have prior to the pandemic, compared to 13% of parents with adult children, 17% of non-parents and significantly higher than the national average (20%). The proportion of this group drinking more (33%) has increased from 24% since December 2020.

Other findings include:

• Those who reported that the Coronavirus pandemic had a larger negative impact on mental health and work-related stress were also significantly more likely to report drinking more than prior to the pandemic
• The pulse survey reiterates the findings of the Drinkaware Monitor 2020 that we are likely to see a cluster of unhealthy behaviours continue, with a similar proportion of UK adults reporting larger negative impacts on different areas of life due to the pandemic also drinking more. 31% of those with larger negative impacts on mental health are drinking more, 34% of those with larger negative impacts on work related stress are doing this. The figure is 33% of those with larger negative effects on eating habits and 35% of those with larger negative impacts on weight
• 15% expect their mental health to get worse as restrictions ease, with the figure rising to 24% of 18–34-year-olds and 27% of people made redundant or facing redundancy

Annabelle Bonus adds: “The polarisation in drinking habits emphasises that a focused approach must be taken to support those who are identified as at a high level of risk of alcohol harm. With figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)^[4] earlier this month showing that 7,423 deaths from alcohol specific causes were registered in 2020, an increase of 19.6% compared to the previous year, we cannot delay making alcohol harm a public health priority and introducing targeted action and assistance.”

Drinkaware has an online self-assessment that can help identify whether someone should be concerned about how much they drink.

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 RENTERS RIGHTS - From Monday 14 June to Sunday the 20 June 2021 Generation Rent are organising seven free online webinars for private renters.

You can help make this week a success say the organisers. 

1) Book your place on one of our webinars

Whether you’re new to renting, having problems with your landlord, or just feel you need a refreshment on your rights, these free online events are the perfect fit for you.

At each event you’ll get the latest renters’ rights information, be able to ask questions and share your renting experience.

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PRISON & SECURE HOSPITAL WORK - In May 2021 Amina Memon and Nicholas Hardwick, from the Centre for the Study of Emotion and Law, at the Royal Holloway University of London produced their report into “WORKING IN UK PRISONS AND SECURE HOSPITALS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”.

A preliminary analysis of a confidential survey of POA Members was undertaken in early 2021. The survey found high levels of anxiety and burn out. These feelings were exacerbated amongst respondents with caring responsibilities and those who had concerns about COVID-19 safety measures in their workplace. Respondents also reported very low levels of emotional support in their workplace.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to heightened concerns about the mental as well as the physical health of the UK population and of those groups that due to the nature of their work, cannot avoid social contact or work from home. POA Members are Frontline Workers and very little work has been done in relation to the consequence of the pandemic for the mental health of POA Members working in our Prisons and Secure Hospitals.

There is reason to expect those working in the custodial sector are more vulnerable to occupational stressors and strains than many other professional groups. In a systematic review of eight studies looking at stressors in custodial settings high workload has consistently emerged as a major source of stress along with lack of personal safety, poor physical working conditions, pay, long hours, low autonomy and role difficulties.

Other studies included in this review highlighted interpersonal stressors, such as a lack of social support from managers and co-workers and lack of communication between management and staff as among the most stressful features of front-line correctional work.

Mark Fairhurst, National Chair of the POA stated;

“This report once again highlights the stresses that POA Members face in their workplaces. The Health and Safety of our members is the number 1 priority of the POA. This report indicates that workload, personal safety, working conditions, pay and attendance systems are having an adverse effect on our members’ Health and Safety and this needs to be addressed by HMPPS in collaboration with this Union”.

 Steve Gillan, the General Secretary of the POA stated;

 “This is another report that the POA commissioned into the well-being of POA members. Action now needs to take place to ensure respective employers in the Prison estate and Secure hospitals are held to account to ensure staff are protected. There needs to be a public inquiry into the mental and physical well-being of staff who work in our prisons and secure hospitals. Warm words of gratitude from Government and employers are simply not good enough”.

The full report is available at https://www.poauk.org.uk/news-events/news-room/posts/2021/june/working-in-uk-prisons-and-secure-hospitals-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

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WORKLESS HOUSEHOLDS - Latest statistics below:

Of the estimated 21.0 million households (where at least one member is aged 16 to 64 years) in the UK, 59.0% had all household members aged 16 years and over in employment during January to March 2021, down 1.4 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

There was an estimated 27.6% of households with a mix of at least one working and one workless adult, up 1.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

There was an estimated 13.4% of households where no member of the household was in employment, down 0.3 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

ABC Note: A workless household is defined as a household which has at least one adult aged 16–64 and all adults in the household, aged 16 or over, are currently economically inactive or unemployed.

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APPRENTICESHIPS - Under a new scheme businesses can claim £3000 for each new apprentice they take on.

From today employers of all sizes in England can now apply for extra funding to help them take on new apprentices, in the latest drive to revolutionise the skills and training offer across the country.

The boost to the apprenticeship incentive scheme was confirmed by the Chancellor in the Budget in March, and will be available to claim from today (1 June). Businesses can apply to claim £3000 for each new apprentice hired as a new employee from 1 April until 30 September.

The cash incentive is designed to help more employers invest in the skilled workforce they need for the future, as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs. It builds on the extensive action already underway to protect, support and create more jobs while bringing our skills and education system closer to the employer market and widening the opportunities that are available, as we build back better from the pandemic.

Image: Rishi Sunak Chancellor.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

Young people have been hit especially hard by the crisis – which is why our Plan for Jobs launched last year is focused on helping them get the skills they need to get the jobs they want.

By boosting the cash incentives for our apprenticeship scheme we’re improving opportunities for young people to stay in and find work – this could not be more important in our economy’s recovery.

Image: Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills.

Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills said:

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for employers large and small to grow their businesses and will continue to play a key role in our economic recovery.

This cash boost will help even more employers to invest in their future workforce, creating more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities so businesses have the skilled talent pipeline they need to thrive, not just today but also in the future.

Thousands of businesses across the country have already taken advantage of the original incentive scheme, which was first launched in July last year by the Chancellor.

Employers can choose how to spend the cash, for example, covering uniform or travel costs for the apprentice.

Image: Matt Clay, Group Qualifications Manager at Lookers.

Matt Clay, Group Qualifications Manager at Lookers said:

The current climate has the potential to leave a damaging impact on the future of young people. We’re delighted to have offered 185 Apprenticeship roles across the Group during this time, enabling opportunities for these young people to build their confidence, skills and experience. Our continued investment into apprenticeships is a result of the recognised value they generate for the business; for every £1 invested we realise a return of £20. The current Government support package will build upon the commercial impact of our apprentices, enabling us to secure the financial future of the Program, having moved into the government co-investment model.

Image: Helena Baxter, apprenticeship lead, Walsall Council.

Helena Baxter, apprenticeship lead, Walsall Council said:

Apprenticeships are good for business, as apprentices can be moulded and shaped in their area of expertise, to deliver the exact skills your business needs. Apprentices are the future decision makers, managers and leaders of Walsall Council and continuing to bring apprentices into the business, even in such difficult times, is important to protect our future, whilst ensuring we continue to deliver the vital services our communities depend upon. I would urge all employers to continue to recruit, and to benefit from government incentives to ease financial burden, whilst offering exciting and rewarding careers opportunities to apprentices.

Abby Swift joined MTR Elizabeth Line as a Customer Experience apprentice using the incentive payment scheme. She said:

My apprenticeship so far has been a great opportunity to develop my skills and knowledge whilst working within a great team at MTR Elizabeth line. I would encourage other people to consider it as an option.

Apprenticeships are playing a central role in the government’s reforms to post-16 education and training, ensuring more people can gain the skills they need to get the jobs they want in a wide range of exciting sectors everything from digital marketing, engineering and clean energy.

The government is also investing £126 million to help create 40,000 more traineeships in England, for 16-24-year olds in 2021-22.

Traineeships are programmes lasting between 6 weeks and 12 months that offer young people invaluable training and work placements that boost employability, bridge skills gaps and bolster the future talent pipeline of businesses.

Employers can also apply for a £1000 cash boost to help them deliver traineeships for up to 10 learners per region, in each of the 9 regions of England.

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HEALTHCARE - Healthcare spending has skyrocketted due to the panademic. Here are the stats in brief:

Total current healthcare expenditure in 2020 is estimated at £269 billion, a cash increase (not removing the effects of inflation) of 20% on 2019.

This 20% increase is almost twice as large as any previous on record, back to 1997.

The share of GDP attributed to healthcare rose to around 12.8% in 2020, up from 10.2% in 2019.

Growth in total healthcare expenditure was driven primarily by a 25% (cash terms) increase in government healthcare expenditure.

Expenditure on healthcare financed through non-government schemes was approximately £49bn in 2020, an increase of 2% in cash terms on 2019.

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HOMELESSNESS - The large number of people sleeping rough in Dublin is an indictment of the government's failed housing policy, according to Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan. 
 
“New data from the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive shows 125 people are sleeping rough - an indictment of this Government and its failed housing policies. No one should be sleeping on the street, in a tent or in a park.
 
“The biannual rough sleeping count is a good litmus test for the Government’s housing policies. The new numbers published prove yet again that the Government’s housing policies are not working. 
 
“As we start to leave the pandemic behind us, the Government has a choice to make. Do they want to continue to govern a country that has over two thousand children who are homeless? Or do they want to tackle this issue, provide people with homes and end homelessness for once and for all?
 
"I recently met people sleeping on our streets who told me that they felt safer on our streets than in Emergency accommodation. This is a damning indictment of the very poor standards and lack of regulation of some private providers. 
 
“The solutions to homelessness are clear: invest in Housing First tenancies, provide people with the mental health supports they need, improve the quality of emergency accommodation and most importantly, build enough homes to house our people. With this approach, we can end homelessness once and for all.”

ABCNote: There were 738 young people (adults aged under 25) living in emergency homeless accommodation. This represents an 80% increase since August 2014. 63% of these young people live in Dublin.

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EVICTIONS - The Coronavirirus eviction ban comes to and end today. 

It is estimated some 400K tenants face eviction though up to a million people could be at risk.

During the pandemic, bailiffs were asked not to carry out evictions if anyone living in the property had Covid-19 symptoms or was self-isolating.

Eviction notice periods were extended to six months as an emergency measure during the pandemic - but will drop to four months from 1 June. Before the pandemic, notice periods were usually two months in England.

About 400,000 renters have had eviction notices or been told to expect them, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says.

It could get nasty. Rents have skyrocketted and people having to find a place to live will find it hard. The government has not brought an end to Section 21. 

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GOOGLE - DWP and Google join forces to grow jobseekers’ digital skills.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has partnered with Google to provide 9,000 jobseekers across the UK with scholarships to gain a Google Career Certificate. 

The scholarship will let jobseekers access courses to grow the necessary skills for a career in technology and IT, with Universal Credit claimants being referred to the scholarships by their Work Coach.

The courses do not require relevant experience or a degree and are recognised by industry experts and employers, including Google.

The courses which are now live to applicants include IT Support, Data Analyst, Project Manager and UX Designer.

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