For immediate release: Thursday 6 March 2008
Financial advice community outreach scheme to help York’s most disadvantaged communities
A new initiative offering practical advice and money management skills to York’s most disadvantaged communities is to be unveiled at a debt and poverty conference this week (10 March).
Funded jointly by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), the financial inclusion outreach project is being run by York and District Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
Despite York’s visible affluence, the city has always suffered from significant levels of deprivation and poverty, affecting communities throughout the city. The proportion of children in families reliant on out-of-work benefits is over 10%; around 13% of households receive tax credits; and nearly 7% of people are jobless but looking for work.
Due to speak at the poverty and debt conference, JRF Director Julia Unwin said: "In York, 5% of residents live on income support (around £8 a day for a single adult) which is just below the national average. Yet in many areas of York this figure is actually 10% and above. Alongside the direct help that will be given to individuals, this initiative will also gather information on poverty levels in York to help inform our work."
Stephen Pittam, Trust Secretary of the JRCT, said: "Evidence shows that York has a great need for such an initiative. It echoes the commitment shown by our founder, Joseph Rowntree, and his son, Seebohm, to find sustainable solutions to poverty. We are pleased to be supporting York and District CAB in launching this initiative. We also want to raise awareness of how joining the York Credit Union (YCU) could help many people on varying incomes."
The conference, Promoting Financial Inclusion and Tackling Poverty and Debt in York, is being run by the CAB and YCU at the Priory Street Centre where the YCU is based. It is aimed at professionals working to help address poverty and financial exclusion in York and the YCU will also be involved in delivering the scheme.
A survey conducted by the City of York Council in 2007 found that 38% of people would have liked advice on money management during the past 12 months. This was a rise of 6% on the 2005 figure. Of this group, 18% had contacted the CAB – a significant increase from 12% in 2005.
Chris Hailey-Norris, York and District Citizens Bureau Director, said: "The outreach team will significantly address financial exclusion in York’s most deprived wards. We aim to reach 1,400 people over a three-year period and with dependents, that will mean help for at least 4,000 people. We hope to increase young people’s money management skills and access to advice, offer earlier prevention of debt issues and maximise benefit take-up."
Notes to Editors:
- The financial inclusion outreach project will begin in April. The team will consult with people living in York’s most deprived communities to find out what type of financial advice would be useful to them. The outreach team will provide the advice through a series of events which will be held in community venues.
- Each event will provide a combination of financial literacy training workshops; talks on budgeting services available across the city and through the YCU; one-to-one advice and information sessions; assistance with applying for benefits; referrals where necessary to specialist advisers and distribution of the York on a Budget booklet.
- Details of the conference available through friendsof@yorkcab.org.uk
- Interviews available with the JRCT (01904 627 810) and CAB (01904 623 648)
- A selection of relevant York statistics follows from www.poverty.org.uk:
- Proportion of the working-age population who are in receipt of key out-of-work benefits: 8.1%
- Proportion of children who are in families who are in receipt of key out-of-work benefits: 10.6%
- Proportion of the population aged 60+ who are in receipt of the guaranteed part of pension credit: 11.9%
- Proportion of working-age people who lack, but want, paid work: 6.8%
- Proportion of working-age households in receipt of tax credits: 13.1%
- Annual number of newly homeless households per 1,000 total households: 5.6
Issued by Nasreen Memon, JRF Head of Media Relations: 020 7278 9665 / 01904 615 919 / nasreen.memon@jrf.org.uk
