Understanding the needs of the community we support is vital for us to know what challenges they are facing and how we can best support them.
This year, we are partnering with Gingerbread – the charity for single parent families – to undertake a research project exploring the impact of universal credit sanctions on single parents.
“It’s great to have support for those on UC as so many families struggle and using personal experiences and sharing information will help lots of families overcome barriers and support to getting help.
Neva Brentnall, Volunteer
5 key reasons we think this project is important:
- Living on Universal Credit is really tough
- Families often struggle to have enough money to provide their families with a decent life
- Single parents are often hardest hit, especially with sanctions
- Meeting the requirements of the “claimant commitment” can be more challenging when you are a single parent. For example, if your child is sick and you miss an appointment, you will be sanctioned
- When families are sanctioned, parents will often go without, for example skipping meals so that their children can still eat
As part of this project, which is funded by Lloyds Bank Foundation, our volunteers will be asking families some new questions in our needs assessment. The questions will focus on our families’ experience of receiving Universal Credit and of being sanctioned, if this has happened to them.
Gingerbread will also be providing our Coordinators with access to a specialist advice line, which will help us to give more information to single parents about their benefits.
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