Leading charities came together to discuss how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting the nation’s ageing and vulnerable population.
Cardiff-based welfare rights advice charity Riverside Advice hosted the latest in a series of roundtables aimed at delving deeper into alleviating the detrimental impact of poverty.
Riverside Advice is one of many to be funded by British Gas Energy Trust to provide support to those people facing issues with their energy bills.
In just one quarter of the year earlier this year, 96% of the people they supported through this project had a disability, with 98% also living in areas high on the multiple deprivation index.
In the Newport and Caerphilly areas, 62% of clients over 55 are working with services such as Blaenau Gwent Care and Repair.
The charity has also worked with 85 different support workers and organisations in the last year for referrals, reaching many vulnerable people across the communities where it works.
Census statistics from 2021 show that Cardiff has an ever-increasing ageing population. In 2021, 14.6% of the population was aged over 65, compared to just 13.2% in 2011. And in 2021, 9.5% of Cardiff residents were identified as being disabled or ‘limited a lot’.
The issues around older and more vulnerable people were the topics of conversation at the Trust’s latest roundtable event, organised to commemorate the charity funder’s 20th anniversary.
Over two decades the Trust has been supporting people in or at risk of fuel poverty with community-based money and energy advice and guidance, energy debt grants and emergency fuel vouchers, and other much needed support.
The roundtable featured speakers from Age UK, Mencap as well as the Customer Operations Director for British Gas.
As part of its funding from British Gas Energy Trust, Riverside Advice works in partnership with mental health support charity 4Winds, which provides practical and emotional support to people with severe mental health illness, helping them to stay engaged with the advice process to resolve their financial issues which also improves health, mental health and wellbeing.
Speaking about the project last year, Riverside Advice’s CEO Barbara Kerridge said:
“We see a lot of people with depression and other mental health issues, but an increasing number of people are having suicidal thoughts and even people requiring hospitalisation.
“The amount and severity of cases is definitely increasing. Things have hit hard, and people are desperate. We found that the support reduced during the pandemic and hasn’t really got back to the levels they need to be at so we’re seeing a huge demand for our services.
“Increasing income for people and ensuring that people receive the right benefits entitlement is important, but often the relief of getting debt cleared has an immense impact on people’s outlook. The immediate effect of not being burdened by a debt is extremely evident, giving people a fresh start, reducing stress and anxiety, and so improving mental health.”
Recently, Riverside supported Peter* who had requested support after his claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was refused, despite being diagnosed with depression and recurrent episodes of psychosis which means he struggles to manage daily tasks and get around without significant support.
The Riverside team worked with him to strengthen his case and Peter subsequently won his appeal, gaining PIP at the enhanced rates at £9,500 a year – and backdated to include more than £16,000 of missed payments.
The team also worked with Peter to reduce his energy consumption, increase his home’s energy efficiency and plan his household budget better.
Of the help he received, he said:
“I now feel more settled and less stressed all the time. I am now able to meet the cost of my bills, and I can even pay off my debts due to the lump sum I received. I have been finding it too difficult to go places as I am unable to use public transport, but I can now get a car, and I will not be so isolated.”
*name changed to protect identity
