Trust provides new service for the homeless

Thanks to a £5k funding grant from the Norman Family Charitable Trust, Exeter’s charity for people who are homeless, St Petrock's, has been able to set up a new specialist Welfare Rights service to help the significant majority of its clients who experience complications, sanctions and delays with their Benefit payments. 

Mel Hartley, project manager at St Petrock’s, explains, “Recent welfare right reforms have detrimentally affected the rough sleeper client group, many of who have significant support needs and are frequently unable to meet the stringent demands to maintain and fully establish their claims for Benefits without assistance. 
“As this support work can be very protracted, time consuming and detailed it is difficult for day staff to process due to competing priorities. This new Welfare Rights service provides a dedicated on-site worker who will focus on fully establishing a client’s claims for Jobseekers Allowance, ESA or Personal Independence Payments as appropriate, as well as providing advocacy and representation for assessments, appeals and tribunals.“

St Petrock’s Welfare Rights service runs Mon – Thurs 10.30 – 12.30 from St Petrock’s centre in Cathedral Yard and is available to anyone who is either homeless or vulnerably housed.