Local Welfare Assistance Dan Stoneman 6 month update for the Hampshire Advice Network

 Funding  Dependency on a discretionary system  Success measured simply through resolution?  DWP expectations – benefits gap and sanctions  Memorandum of Understanding – community resilience Managing expectations

 Web page – searchable and accessible  Hampshire Crisis Information and Advice Line  Job centre Plus Communication  CAB relationship  Hampshire Advice Network  I&A Providers signed up to MoU’s Managing access

 Hampshire Crisis Information and Advice Line  Hampshire Furniture Reuse Network  Hitting the Cold Spots  Food Bank Grants  Hampshire Advice Network  Discretionary Budgets – more detail will be covered in annual report Targeting resources to date

 CAB Framework  Probation Services  Childrens Centres  Libraries and Discovery Centres  MoU examples – Hostels, Domestic Abuse Services, Housing Associations, MH community services, substance misuse etc. Key relationships

Some key statistics from HCIA

 Case Study One: Recently unemployed man  Case Study Two: Single mother moving from supported lodgings to house  Case Study Three: Diabetic man placed in emergency accommodation Case study examples

 Case Study Four: Couple long term homeless found accommodation  Case Study Five: Families with poor home conditions supported by Locality Team  Case Study Six: Borough housing supporting family with resettlement, combination of reuse / vouchers and discretionary budget Case study examples

 More MoU’s need signing  Building community capacity – need engagement for more sustainable solutions and managing capacity of services and providers  Targeting limited resources appropriately  Engagement with budgeting / debt advice services  Fuel and food poverty  Continuing to manage expectations  Services become reliant on funding – future concerns  Individuals becoming reliant on discretionary payments Challenges