New Outreach Service To Offer Advice In Communities

Funding for a new service to help some of the city’s most vulnerable citizens to deal with their finances has been agreed by the City of Cardiff Council. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The service is expected to start in May, taking help and advice into communities in the city where people need it most. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Many of Cardiff’s most vulnerable citizens don’t seek the help they need to deal with their finances or fail to claim the benefits they are entitled to because of difficulties completing forms as well as lack of awareness of their eligibility for grants and schemes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The City Council’s new Outreach Advice Team will take help to where it is needed most, this could include food banks, local community hubs, venues where Flying Start activities take place and areas with a significant older population. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Advice about benefit entitlement and budgeting will be available as well as support to help people to get back to work. The team will also work with an advice partner to provide specialist money advice for those with complex debt issues. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet Member for Skills, Safety and Engagement, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said: “Getting back into the world of work after a period of unemployment can often be a daunting prospect for people and many lack the confidence or digital skills needed to look for work. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Sanctions can be applied to people’s benefits for not regularly actively seeking work in the required way and this can lead to their income being reduced further. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The new outreach service seeks to help people who find themselves in this situation. The team will be able to help with putting together CVs, assist with Universal Credit Job Match, identifying training opportunities and will book clients on courses. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“With this service we are seeking to support some of the most vulnerable people in the city to ensure they access the services they need.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Wellbeing, Cllr Susan Elsmore, said: “As Welfare Reform continues to be rolled out across the city, many of the most vulnerable citizens find their benefits being reduced and are unable to manage the impact this has their families. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our Money Advice service at Central Library Hub does some fantastic work in supporting people to claim benefits, grants or to access schemes they are eligible for. This new service is an extension of that successful work and we hope it will be of great benefit to our clients.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​