Mat, our Bradford Support Worker describes how tough it can be to follow a simple process!
Recently I supported a guy to get housed. Richard was mentioned to me by a lot of agencies as very much our prospective caseload, he had a long history of rough sleeping and making himself ‘intentionally’ homeless from a variety of unsuitable accommodation. I had spent a lot of time arranging assessments for various hostels and projects only for Richard to not manage to meet me to get him to the appointments. A worker at an alcohol project had managed to get him a place in some supported housing; I arranged to meet Richard and to accompany him to the project. He failed to arrive so I walked around a few of his likely hangouts. Near one of his sleeping spots I found him. He was apologetic for not meeting me but said he had been trying to get a letter to give to the Job Centre so that he could get proof of benefits.
Hostels and supported housing need letters proving income of benefits before they will allow somebody to move in. Our chaotic clients are struggling to get an address, let alone maintain a file with all their correspondence in. Unfortunately the Job Centre has decided it was wasting money and staff time providing a printout stating income so it has withdrawn the ‘service’. Instead claimants have to arrange an interview and wait three days. I can remember at least one instance in Huddersfield in which this delayed, if not ruined the chance of getting an entrenched rough sleeper into accommodation. A three day wait in Bradford, where there is very high demand for each bed, means that it is very easy to lose the place.
It was quite challenging to understand exactly what Richard said had happened, but essentially the person on the front desk of the Job Centre had been quite helpful and said that if he got a letter from his drug worker stating that it was an emergency they would be able to provide proof of benefits; he had returned to his worker who had said it had been arranged. When Richard and I arrived at the Job Centre it turned it the letter he had been given was in fact stating his identity, not that his situation was an emergency. The Job Centre was keen to point out if they had that letter it would be fine. I rang the drugs worker who said it wasn’t her responsibility to provide such a letter, and whilst I could have returned to the office to type the letter myself I wasn’t keen on losing this opportunity nor sight of Richard as he was clearly struggling to cope with everything that was happening when he was being told there was a place waiting for him! All the time I was on the phone trying to find a solution I was next to the front desk in the Job Centre, the receptionist hearing the call as he dealt with other customers. As I talked, perhaps he began to understand Richard’s situation (or perhaps to get rid of us), he said he would sort out the proof of income without the letter.
We went to the project and I sat with Richard through-out the assessment where he went through the pretty rubbish stages of his life which had led to that point. Afterwards whilst he was waiting for the key I bought us donuts to celebrate.