Ways to take action – December policy update

“Peace is born of justice, not of the mere absence of conflict. We cannot be true peace-makers if we ignore the structures that bring about poverty and despair.” Helder Camara

As part of our efforts to end poverty, uphold dignity and promote a fair world, we engage in various activities to raise awareness of and call for changes to the policies and systems that affect people in need and those we walk alongside in our work. 

We publish regular updates like this one to keep you informed about campaigns and activities calling for change. 

Hopefully these updates will inspire you to actively participate and make a difference in your community. We’d love to hear from you if you do, so get in touch and let us know what you’ve been up to. 

Tackling stigma around poverty 

We recently joined together with Turn2us and more than 60 diverse organisations to urge the Government to use language that supports rather than stigmatises when talking about social security.  

We signed an open letter which said, “The way we talk about the social security system matters: it can be the difference between creating stigma or compassion” and highlighted how talking about benefit fraud and an ‘out of control’ welfare bill can cause people to delay or avoid reaching out for support when they need it. 

We were pleased that the letter gained significant attention which helped the message reach a wider audience, including being covered by the I newspaper. 

Unfortunately, stigma is not only present in the area of social security, but found in people’s experiences of poverty more generally. Studies in Wales and Scotland have found that poverty stigma is far-reaching and affects significant proportions of the population in both nations, with one in four people in Wales experiencing poverty stigma. It is highly likely that people in England, and closer to home, in our diocese, will have similar experiences.  

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has found that stigma around poverty is a barrier to seeking help. It leads to social isolation and is a “powerful glue that holds poverty in place”. They say that to address issues of poverty, we must also address the stigma that has been attached to it.  

We believe that each person has inherent worth and dignity, and we’re mindful that our own words and actions have the power to either perpetuate stigma or encourage compassion.

Perhaps you could take some time to give some thought to the power of your own words and actions this month too? 

Contributing to the Child Poverty Taskforce 

Last month, we were pleased to have the opportunity to provide evidence and our views to the Child Poverty Unit in the Government, as they continue to work on a strategy to address child poverty, the details of which will be announced in the spring. We were able to highlight the experiences of people accessing our services in our diocese and recommend changes to improve the lives of people experiencing poverty.  

Taking the initial data from our survey of headteachers and senior leaders in schools across the diocese, we highlighted to the Child Poverty Unit that the overwhelming majority of schools leaders surveyed have seen a significant increase in poverty in their communities in recent years, and that they highlighted how poverty impacts the educational outcomes of their students. A full report of the survey’s findings will be published in 2025.  

A key change we continue to call for is an end to the two-child benefit cap which, if not scrapped, will keep pulling more and more children and families into poverty.

If you have not already done so, you can join your voice with others across the country and write to your MP to ask them to advocate on behalf of all those affected by this policy. 

Homelessness and mental health 

Work continues across the homelessness sector to address the cycle of homelessness and poor mental health, and the barriers faced by people experiencing homelessness when it comes to accessing mental health support. We are a member of Homeless Link, and they have been working with Centre for Mental Health to explore opportunities to create change in this area. 

Homeless Link’s research has found that 82% of people experiencing homelessness have a mental health diagnosis, but nine out of ten homelessness services state that their clients experience barriers to mental health care. This is in line with our own Health and Homelessness report, where we found that 78% of those we surveyed who were experiencing or at risk of homelessness identified as having mental health problems, compared with to 12.7% of the general population. 

The discussions hosted by Homeless Link and Centre for Mental Health concluded that action is required on multiple levels, but that adequate housing is essential. Only 9% of accommodation providers state they can support people with high or complex needs, despite the prevalence of poor mental health among people accessing homelessness support, demonstrating the significant need for more supported accommodation to ensure that people have access to safe, secure and suitable homes. 

The importance of holistic support was also discussed, and it is well recognised that holistic approaches are most effective in meeting the needs of people both in the short and long term.

We offer holistic support to people experiencing and at risk of homelessness, to help them transform their lives. Read more about our homelessness services here. 

Mental health and seeking sanctuary 

As well as for people experiencing homelessness, changes are needed to address the mental health needs of people seeking sanctuary in the UK. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has expressed concern that the immigration legislation passed in recent years has the potential to cause substantial harm to people seeking refuge, particularly those with pre-existing mental health difficulties. 

Although some policy changes have been welcomed by the college in a recent report, they are concerned that, to date, the new Government have not committed to repealing any of the legislation. They state that the Government must ensure that all immigration legislation explicitly protects and supports those with mental illness and must review all relevant legislation in terms of its potential impact on mental health. 

As with the language used around poverty which can create and exacerbate stigma, the college has also highlighted how important language is in the area of migration. 

Through consultation with people with lived experience, they have found that hostile language and referring to someone by immigration status or route of arrival is dehumanising and creates stigma. Words such as ‘illegal’ or ‘failed’, for example, have been found to be unnecessarily hostile, and the report emphasises the significance of using accurate and respectful language in building trust. 

Alongside the college and many other organisations, we will continue to call for an end to the hostile environment and discriminatory anti-migrant rhetoric.  

To find out more about our policy and advocacy work and ways you can get involved, visit https://www.caritassalford.org.uk/about/policy-and-advocacy/