The government is “seriously undermining” the fight against homelessness with its benefits reforms, says the Chartered Institute of Housing.

This comes just a week after the National Audit Office condemned the government for not assessing the role of welfare reform was playing in the rise in homeless since austerity began in 2010. The NAO pointed out that there were 77,240 households in temporary accommodation in England in March 2017, an increase of 60% on March 2011.

Eighty-four per cent of 106 councils surveyed by the University of Sheffield and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) agreed it was harder to work with housing associations to protect people from becoming homeless as a result of reforms, such as capping benefits. And, of the councils surveyed, 61% said restriction to welfare was the most common reason people were rejected for rehoming by a housing association, when threatened with homelessness. A total of 7 out of 10 housing associations surveyed also agreed.

In the joint report, the CIH and Sheffield University warn that welfare reform is “directly undermining” the Government’s own commitment to tackle homelessness. The Homeless Reduction Act is due to impose greater legal responsibilities on councils to prevent people becoming homeless from April next year.

Terrie Alafat, CIH chief executive, said: “Welfare policy is seriously undermining the work that councils and housing associations can do to reduce homelessness. The government has stated its commitment to tackle homelessness and the Homelessness Reduction Act, which comes into effect next year, represents significant progress. But it is also clear that welfare policy is directly undermining that effort.”

She added: “Policies like the lower benefit cap are leaving people with significant gaps between the help they get with housing costs and their rent. If the Government is serious about tackling our homelessness crisis it must urgently consider how it can create a policy framework which supports, and not undermines, what councils and housing associations can achieve together to tackle this huge problem.”

University of Sheffield Professor David Robinson, who worked on the research, said: “The introduction of the Homeless Reduction Act has been widely welcomed. The Act gives councils important new responsibilities and powers. However, councils cannot tackle homelessness on their own – they need help. Evidence that the vital role that housing associations traditionally play helping councils to reduce homelessness is being undermined is therefore deeply concerning.”

More than 70% of housing associations and councils said cuts to their funding had also hurt efforts to fight homelessness.

A Government spokesperson said: “Universal Credit claimants are moving into work faster than under the old system, and since the benefit cap was introduced, 34,000 households who previously had their benefits capped have moved into work.”

“We continue to spend around £90 billion a year supporting people who are out of work, disabled or a carer, bringing up a family or on a low income. We are also investing £550 million to 2020 to address the issue of homelessness and implement the most ambitious legislative reform in decades.”

The Goodison Sleepout fundraiser returns for its second year on Friday November the 10^th with one of Everton In The Community’s toughest challenges.

The challenge gives participants the chance to raise money for a pioneering charity while spending the night in one of the world’s most famous football stadiums. The overnight fundraiser follows on from the success of last season’s inaugural event that saw Everton’s Under-23s squad launch the Home is Where the Heart Is (HIWTHI) campaign.

This year’s attendees will once again be able to join up with Everton U-23s manager David Unsworth and members of his squad, as they grab their sleeping bags and brave the elements to experience the challenges homeless people face.

Commenting on the announcement, David Unsworth said: “I’m delighted to see The Goodison Sleepout return. This was one of the toughest things we had to do last season as a squad, but we really enjoyed it, despite the freezing temperatures, so it’s great to know that there is so much interest for it to return.”

“This year’s funds will go towards the charity’s wider initiatives, which includes the setting up of a supported living facility that we raised over £230,000 for, as part of the Home is Where the Heart is campaign. Everton in the Community is an amazing charity with over 40 programmes covering education, health and wellbeing, youth engagement, employment and training and social isolation.”

“It is known as a charity that not only changes lives but saves lives. The more people we can get to sign up, the bigger difference we can make in our local area.”

Participants are asked to raise a minimum of £150, including a £10 registration fee, with all funds contributing towards life-changing projects run by EitC throughout Merseyside and beyond.

To sign up, call the Fundraising Team on 0151 530 5260 or visit www.evertonfc.com/community

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has issued an ultimatum to all public sector bosses to tackle the escalating homelessness problem.

Mr. Burnham is demanding all organisations, including councils, GP leaders, the police and housing providers, take urgent and immediate action and come up over the next fortnight with plans to tackle the problem. He has grown frustrated in recent months at the rising numbers of rough sleepers on the streets and believes more short-term measures could be taken to reverse the trend, alongside longer-term plans to build new shelters and reform the housing sector. He is particularly keen to see vacant public buildings used as shelters – particularly as winter sets in – and to ensure all homeless people have access to GP services.

According to a report in the Manchester Evening News, the region’s public sector chiefs were already due to meet on October 6 to discuss ‘life readiness’ among teenagers. However, the mayor says the topic of that meeting has now been changed to homelessness.

In a letter to them, he wrote: “As mayor I have asked individuals, businesses and the voluntary sector to do more, and they have, now it is time for the public sector to increase the urgency with which it responds to homelessness and rough-sleeping. I want you to think about what your organisation can do individually and what you can do collectively, working together with other public sector partners.”

“Our discussion will focus on the immediate action we can take across all public bodies and voluntary sector organisations, as well as receiving an update on the work done so far and future action plan. I am requesting as chair of the board that each body brings ideas of actions that can be taken immediately and in planning for a longer term solution.”

He lists a number of specific suggestions, including asking the NHS to ensure GPs provide treatment to homeless people whenever they need it, looking for vacant properties owned by housing providers or other parts of the public sector that could be opened up, and looking at how all authorities can work together to ensure nobody is on the street during severe weather.

The letter has been sent to chief executives of all 10 councils, as well as the region’s chief health officer, Greater Manchester housing providers, the county fire officer, clinical commissioning leaders, mental health providers, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the chief constable.

He told the Manchester Evening News that while the voluntary sector, members of the public and business had been active in helping to solve the problem, the public sector could do more. “This problem is escalating before our eyes and now needs to be gripped much more fundamentally by the system,” he added.

Mr Burnham was elected in May on a promise to end rough sleeping on Greater Manchester’s streets by 2020. Official estimates are only released once a year, with the last numbers estimating the numbers at 78 – but charities say numbers are routinely three or even four times that estimate and one told the M.E.N. around 20 new homeless people are currently appearing in the city centre every week. The number of people living in temporary accommodation also shot up by a third between June and December, according to research by Shelter.

Benefits changes – particularly recent cuts to housing benefit for people aged 18 to 21 – have been identified as a particular factor in the rising numbers. A report by the National Audit Office (see above) earlier this week is understood to have heightened concerns within the mayor’s office. It found the government had failed to understand the link between welfare cuts and homelessness, adding that it was ‘difficult to understand’ its ‘light touch approach’ to the crisis.

Every Sunday, you’ll find Jack Jenkins standing outside the Bombed-Out Church, at the top of Bold Street, giving free haircuts to the homeless. But what many won’t know is that the self-taught barber was himself homeless for a while when he was very young.

Jack was left to fend for himself at the tender age of 15, following the break-up of his parent’s marriage. Jack, from Childwall, told the Liverpool Echo: “My mum and dad split up when I was young and while they’ve both tried to do the best by me, it affects children in different ways and I took the negatives from it. I got in with the wrong people and I was easily influenced so I started skipping school.”

“My mum as a single parent couldn’t cope anymore so she kicked me out. I was 15 at the time and I didn’t have anywhere to go so I was just out and about with my bags, couch-hopping and walking the streets at 4am for something to do. After a few weeks my nan and granddad took me in, they’re like saviours to me. They got me into college and into a job.”

Two years later, Jack moved into his own flat and began his journey to becoming a barber – he opened his own salon by the age of 23. Jack said: “I quickly fell in love with making people look and feel good about themselves and I’ve been working six days a week for the past six years, building and building to where I want to be.”

“The main reason I started helping the homeless was because one day I walked past a man lying on a piece of cardboard in the street bleeding out of his eyes and ears. And I thought to myself why are you looking down at these people when you can help them?” He added: “You’ve got to be really patient with the homeless and understand that they may not have had the right upbringing or lived the right life.”

Jack, who now works at Crew barbers on Smithdown Road, is leaving Liverpool in January to go travelling as a barber in Melbourne. On leaving he hopes that people in Liverpool will continue the work he has started.

Jack works alongside the charity Helping Hands who distribute bowls of Scouse and bread to the homeless outside the Bombed-Out Church every Sunday from 6pm until 8.30pm. If you would like to help Jack or to donate any toiletries, clothing or sealed food items then follow his Instragram @jackjenkinshair or ring him on 07405743580.

With the roll out of Universal Credit Full Service set to accelerate in October, Homeless Link looked at the options that are available to ensure people can receive their Universal Credit payment.

Universal Credit Full Service is the new system for applying, managing and receiving welfare benefits. New welfare claimants in Universal Credit Full Service areas receive one Universal Credit payment, which replaces Housing Benefit, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Child Tax Credits and Working Tax Credits and Income Support.

People currently on legacy benefits will be transferred to Universal Credit if they are in a Universal Credit Full Service area and have a relevant change in circumstances. Although only around 100 Job Centre Plus currently have full-service, this will increase by around 50 Job Centre Plus a month from October, with national roll-out expected to be completed in September 2018. Any remaining legacy claimants will be moved onto Universal Credit from July 2019 to March 2022.

Universal Credit has been designed so that the majority of claimants will receive payment directly into a bank, building society or credit union account.

But many people will find it difficult to open a bank account if they are rough sleeping, sofa surfing, or have no fixed abode. This is because of the problems in obtaining an adequate proof of address that a bank will accept. It can also be equally hard for a person living in a hostel and/or supported housing to open an account, due to a lack of supporting documentation.

However, the Government website says that Universal Credit can be paid in a different way if there are problems opening a bank account and that Job Centre Plus Work Coaches should help to explain the process of receiving payment. Homeless Link has been in discussions with DWP who confirmed that recent internal communications have been issued to Work Coaches to remind them that where a claimant is unable to open or manage a transactional account, DWP can pay Universal Credit into a Post Office card account.

Homeless Link and others have helped shape the ‘Change Account’ that has many of the benefits of a bank account, such as a debit card, dedicated sort code and account number, direct debits and budgeting wallets. There is no credit check associated with opening a Change Account, so individuals with a poor credit history or anyone who has been made bankrupt could still qualify. Details of the benefits and associated costs of the Change Account can be found here: https://www.thechangeaccount.com/.

If you have any problems or successes in opening accounts, please contact Chris Brill at chris.brill@homelesslink.org.uk  so that they can share this learning with our members and advise DWP when and where things are not working. For more on this issue go to www.homelesslink.org.uk