New #benefits #sanctions push those living in #English #Scottish Borders to brink - chronic #poverty @bordertelegraph A #CRISIS #survival guide is being created for #volunteers at Citizens Advice in the #Borders to help them understand new #BenefitSanctions. It follows concerns that they are not being explained properly to #jobseekers and don’t help them find #employment. The Central Borders Bureau, which also arranges #foodbank referrals, was forced to increase its opening hours to cope with demand. Kathryn said: “I think a lot of people think we just deal with #debt and benefits but we deal with anything. “We have had people who have been at the brink, they are either threatening to commit #suicide or they have attempted to #CommitSuicide because they are in such #despair and not #eating for days because they’ve no #money. “You can suggest that CAB could organise a food parcel and pride gets in the way and then they burst into tears. “It’s hard for our advisors because they just want to help people and we’re struggling at times to find a solution.” The CAB revealed its #PhoneBill was expected to increase dramatically after Jobcentre Plus began removing phones from its centres in the Borders. One volunteer revealed a jobseeker was given a piece of paper with a number on it to call from another line - despite being #deaf and #mute. Others have been forced to wait on hold for up to an hour. Members revealed they feared the new benefit sanctions #discriminated against those who are not computer #literate and those with #MentalHealth difficulties, while it was noted those in rural areas can’t afford to travel to the job centre every day. Rhiannon Sims, Policy Co-ordinator at Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “The main problem is sanctions don’t always help people get into #work or help them find work. “Our case studies show the quite frankly ridiculous situations people get sanctioned for. “More and more we’re seeing people who have fallen through the net of the benefits system relying on #charitable support to #survive.. “The Bureau often helps people to claim for crisis grants and to know about food bank referrals and I think people really treat that as a #lifelife. “Without it I dread to think what kind of a position they would be in.”
Posted on: Sun, 09 Nov 2014 12:54:52 +0000
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