Colm Fitzpatrick
EXCLUSIVE
The government is relying on charities to help the most vulnerable citizens in the North because the social welfare system can’t cope, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Government offices are increasingly referring hard-pressed welfare recipients who are struggling to the Society of St Vincent de Paul to meet a shortfall caused by welfare reform.
Now the charity – which is largely funded by the contributions of Mass-goers – is warning that delays to welfare payments under a controversial new scheme aimed at streamlining the system could push people in the direction of loan-sharks or so-called pay-day lenders with huge rates of interest.
Urgent need
A spokesperson for the SVP Northern region confirmed to The Irish Catholic that there have been instances of social security offices referring benefit recipients to the charity in urgent need of assistance. This is due to a new mandatory five-week waiting period to receive the new streamlined benefit known as Universal Credit.
The spokesperson said that the organisation is increasingly concerned that people forced to live without benefits for such a long period of time “could be tempted to seek the advice of doorstop lenders or pay-day lenders”. They also cited examples of when welfare offices had advised people to approach SVP foodbanks in desperate need for daily essentials that the state claims it is unable to provide.
Although committed to providing financial and material support for people in need, the SVP is increasingly stretched providing basic essentials and a spokesperson said it they find it “surprising that a government department should appear to promote dependency on charities as an acceptable policy for social security claimants, some of whom are in [low-paid] employment”.
The charity also added that they are “frequently approached” to provide furniture for people moving into oftentimes unfurnished rented accommodation, including Housing Executive premises. This is becoming an increasing trend given that financial contribution for furniture from the Northern Region for 2017 was £396,117 compared to £362,184 for 2016 – an increase of almost 10%.
“SVP will respond as necessary to need in our community; however, we do expect that, where statutory public sector provision is available, it should be provided before reference to SVP or any other charity,” it said.
Speaking about this practice of supplying furniture, Michael Deehan, who is based in one of Omagh’s SVP shops, told this newspaper it happens every week across the Omagh district, and that he even once received a phone call directly from a Housing Executive employee asking for furnishing for a new house.
He stressed this is placing a strain on SVP’s resources and that the charity doesn’t exist to replace benefits, noting that “the government is using us to fill in for them”.
“It’s not right that the government should be relying on charitable organisations to pull them out of a hole when they’re not looking after people.”