Welfare

Each month, charities tell us how demand for their services is rising in both numbers and complexity. They also tell us this is often a consequence of welfare reforms.

 

While we’re helping charities to respond to these demands through our core funding and development support, we need to influence the system if we’re going to stem demand. To do that we are looking at how we can influence improvements in the welfare system.

 

Core areas of interest for our welfare work are:

1. Ensuring people of working age can access the benefit support they need
2. Ensuring these benefits aren’t taken away unfairly, to prevent people from needing crisis support
3. Ensuring people of working age who do fall through the gaps can access crisis support
4. Being able to respond to opportunities to improve access to, and the help available from, welfare support and challenge unfair practices

 

Universal Credit has presented a number of challenges to charities we fund and their clients. From difficulties with the digital process to the five-week wait for first payments, charities are providing more and more support as people struggle to access the benefits they need.

 

To look at this in more depth, we co-funded Bright Blue’s Helping Hand report focused on improving Universal Credit. Charities we fund fed evidence into this report, with a focus group also providing further context and challenge. We and Bright Blue have shared this with the government and are pushing for more changes to address the challenges in the system.

 

We’re also investing in a new project looking at how to improve crisis support in local areas. The withdrawal of the Social Fund and reduction in the availability of local welfare assistance schemes means it’s much harder for people to access support when they face financial crisis. We’re helping The Children’s Society to work with local charities and local authorities to pilot a more coordinated response.

We also draw on the insight we’ve gained from working with charities on welfare issues to respond to consultations on issues such as the five-week-wait for the first payment of Universal Credit:

 

• Work and Pensions Select Committee – Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment.

 

Funding: influencing change in the welfare system

We’ve been hearing for a long time from charities about challenges with the welfare system, but during the coronavirus pandemic, these issues have intensified. Many people have experienced a drop in their income in recent months and have needed to access welfare support. Record numbers of people are claiming Universal Credit and food banks have seen a rise in the number of people needing emergency support.

 

While the Government introduced temporary measures to ease the impact of some of these challenges, the consequences of the pandemic are going to be with us for much longer. As we recover from the initial impact of the pandemic, there may also be opportunities to influence change for the better, as we look at how we can rebuild from the crisis and what can be learned.

 

In this context, we are looking to fund work which seeks to influence key issues in the welfare system highlighted by the pandemic and make the most of current and upcoming opportunities for change.

 

We are particularly interested in work which will benefit working-age adults who face the greatest challenges, such as those who are affected by the complex social issues that the Foundation focuses on – for example, people who are affected by domestic abuse, have experienced homelessness, are dealing with mental ill-health or are moving on from time in prison. More generally, it may mean people who are unable to access online support or processes, who are disproportionately affected by structural inequalities, those with no recourse to public funds or those who need support from others to navigate the benefits system and advocate for what they are entitled to.

 

We are particularly interested in work which seeks to influence:

• Sanctions and conditionality
• The level and rate of deductions
• The level of Local Housing Allowance / Housing Benefit for working age adults without children
• The process of claiming benefits, including greater options for those who struggle to get online
• The support offered to claimants, including by Work Coaches or by others
• Improving support for those with no recourse to public funds
• The prison discharge grant
• Improving the operation of the social security system for those experience domestic abuse

 

Rather than delivering services, this funding is a chance to think differently and focus on influencing change in the welfare system, through policy, research and campaigning.

 

You can read more about what we’re looking to fund, who is eligible and how to apply, by downloading our guidance below.

 

If you are developing work that you think might be relevant for funding, we would encourage you to read the guidance carefully and then get in touch with the Policy Team for an initial conversation about whether your idea might fit what we’re looking for.