Welfare

Welfare Rights/Debt Worker

The key aims of this post is that a qualified worker will support local residents who feel that they are living in poverty or have spiralling debts. This may be because of unemployment, lone parent status, divorcees, and student or because of poor financial management skills.

It is hoped that clients using the service will benefit by having a local, confidential, professional service. The setting for this post will also offer a range of services, which can support residents to maintain a quality of life whilst dealing with their financial constraints.

It could also lead to local residents becoming involved with the Welfare Sub Group and help others using personal knowledge and experience.

This post will combat poverty by helping to:

· Prioritise expenses and make a little money go a long way.

· Bringing peoples out of financial exclusion and include them into alternative financial services, help people to be aware of cheaper or free alternatives for credit and advice.

· Improving or removing levels of poverty, which will impact upon improvement in mental and physical well-being.

· Use the additional finance to engage in a healthier lifestyle and have the ability to purchase a better quality and variety of food, which links, to our local cook and eat Healthy Living Project.

· Help develop a Financial Literacy Culture with residents. This can be undertaken in schools in partnership with the Credit Union Worker, or by the Welfare Rights/Debt Worker holding Debt Hearings to get the attention of a wider audience on the effects of poverty.

· Support families by the reduction or removal of debt and potentially avert family or individual breakdown as a consequence of debt and poverty.

· Provide money and benefit advice before problems arise. Citizen’s Advice Bureaux usually offer this after problems have started to occur. Money advice helps people to cope with debt and provides emotional support and mental reassurances. It also would alleviate the cost of transport to Barnsley, which people on low incomes and in poverty cannot afford.

· Link residents to the Credit Union workers to enable them to take advantage of a range of services offered.

· Advise clients on paying for gas/electricity by pre -paid card is more expensive and help them work towards paying by other methods.

· Undertake Benefit Assessments and help claimant’s complete documentation if required.

· Support in court, Department of Work and Pensions appeals and tribunals.

· Link to websites e.g. Debt on your Doorstep” for up to date issues on poverty. This will ensure currency of information.

· Undertake needs assessments for individuals and families.

· Set up a Poverty Action Group with volunteers to help support issues.

· Help people to be responsible for their own situation and support them to pay off debts, which will help companies regain monies owning which will enhance the economy.

· By supporting people to manage their own finances better it will allow more spending power especially to local community businesses.

Darfield Community Association is a Company Limited By Guarantee.

Registered in England - Company Number 05268373