Financial Inclusion Partnership Presentation

19th June 2008

Advice & Support

• 840,000 individuals living in relative low income poverty in Scotland (2006/07)

• Personal debt of £178,755,924 dealt with by Scotland’s CABs (2006/07)

• Perceptions of financial situation – 47% managing very or quite well (2005/06)

• Credit Crunch – consumer inflation, mortgage rates and energy prices

Financial InclusionMoney Advice

Benefits Advice

Young People & MoneyFinancial Education In Schools

Financial Capacity In Communities

Money GuidanceAwarenessEducationPrevention

Third Sector Lending Basic Bank Accounts

Credit Union Development

Money Advice Financial Education

Financial Products & Services

Routes to Inclusion

Functions

Projects ScotcashWestern Isles Credit Union

Child Trust FundsSavings Initiatives

Community Advice TeamNew Beginning TeamDebt Advice Aftercare

Cancer & Palliative Care Adviser

West Lothian Council

Our Community Advice Team• Helped 361 patients at St John’s Hospital get £1.023M extra income• Helped 355 families get £1.24M extra income• Runs a West Lothian Advice and Information Forum

West Lothian CouncilOur Energy Advice Service• Visited 297 people aged 60+• Helped them save money and access insulation measures worth

£299K• Stopped 399 tonnes carbon dioxide being released into the

atmosphere

Our Employablity Service• advised 220 advice service customers access employment or

education opportunities• 75% were helped into work or training• 77% of these successfully completed what they’d started

West Lothian Council

Our Ethnic Minorities Service• Dealt with 840 enquiries• Developed an advice service for people from A8 countries• Developed an Ethnic Minorities Womens’ Group to help women improve

work opportunities and to integrate into Scottish society

West Lothian Financial Inclusion Network• Meets quarterly, with 15 to 20 local agencies participating• Is constituting itself and applying for other funding• Offers an opportunity to network and to work in partnership

South Lanarkshire Council

New Beginning Team

• Welfare to Work

• Money Advice

South Lanarkshire Council• 263 referrals to partners

• 388 referrals from partners

• Attended 71 partnership events

• Engaged with 1,697 customers

South Lanarkshire Council

• Community Based

• Pro-active

• Strong Partnership Links

North Ayrshire Council Debt Advice Aftercare

• Provide support to sustain new/vulnerable tenancies

• Prevent escalation of debt situations

• Increase access to specialist advice

• Partnership working

Impact on North Ayrshire

• Identify Council Tax exemptions

• Assist with reclaiming bank charges

• Provide alternatives to doorstep lending

• Information on alternative fuel provider

• Support sustainable repayments

Impact on North Ayrshire

• £ 4,890 Weekly benefit generated

• £30,411 Backdated benefit

• £30,409 Grants/Others

• £ 3,129 Debt written off

Renfrewshire Council

• Financial Inclusion Specialist Advice Services

• Project based approach to enhance existing activity and target assistance to vulnerable

• Cancer & Palliative Care, Mental Health, Housing Awareness and Working For Families

Renfrewshire Council• To remove the burden of financial

concerns allow them to concentrate on their illness and treatment

• Provides advice and support on welfare benefits, debt and mortgage repayments

• Delivered to meet clients needs and tailored for treatment programmes

Renfrewshire Council• Immediate high demand for service

• Partnerships with GP surgeries, hospitals, hospices, district nurses, Beatson Centre, Princess Royal Trust Carers Centre

• Strong relationships with Macmillan Cancer Support

Renfrewshire Council• Impact ; 524 clients, 514 benefit claims, income

generated £1,027,320, debt written off £120,271

• Development of new drop-in clinics at Royal Alexandria and Southern General

• Fairer Scotland Fund and Macmillan Cancer Support

East Ayrshire Council

• Money Advice – Outreach surgeries, Evening and weekend opening times

• Money Advice Assistants providing ongoing support in partnership with

Advocacy Project and Carers Centre

North Lanarkshire Council

• Self-help Guide• Focus Group• Introduction to money advice processes• Publicity• Up to 6,000 copies• Evaluation

Glasgow City CouncilCAIS Online:• an online case management system used by all 27 advice

organisations in the City.  Vulnerable Groups:• Projects to increase access to mainstream services for mental

health service users and the BME communities.GAIN (Glasgow’s Advice & Information Network) Helpline &

Website:• The freephone GAIN Helpline (0808 801 1011) & website

(www.gain4u.org.uk) provide citizens with information, advice and details of their closest GAIN agency.

Dundee City Council

• Making Money Work – FI project to specifically support people moving off benefits & into work

• FI Pre-tenancy – to reduce revolving homelessness provides 1:1 FI support before tenancy taken on

Inverclyde Council

• One stop Shops - integrated approach• Grow referral arrangements across community• 1870 customers 2007 - 5m Debt - 1 m 'Take Up'• Financial Education Activity• Financial Products Promoted• Campaigns

West Dunbartonshire Council• Weekly surgeries in the Full Employment Areas. 115 clients have advice

and were assisted with lending and credit related queries.

• A placement in a local CAB to support clients with money/debt concerns. 

• A surgery for tenants in local HA

• A wage handling service. 92 clients have benefited from this service. • Money advice workers forum established.

• Council Welfare Rights/Debt Advice & Support services established for people with Mental Health & Addiction issues

• Council Welfare Rights/Debt Advice & Support service for people with cancer & carers in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support – Beatson Oncology Unit

• Partnership with local CAB and Clydebank College, focus on transition from welfare to work

• Local CAB Estate based Take-Up Campaign with Local HA

• Local CAB Text Advice Service – early stages, includes liaising with youth clubs and groups

• Local CAB Out of Hours service – Money/Debt Advice

West Dunbartonshire Council