Debt advice centre sees rising numbers of people seeking support

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27 April 2022

As Ablewell Advice in Walsall marks its tenth anniversary, the Revd Rachel Wood, Superintendent of the Walsall Methodist Circuit, says there is greater than ever demand on its services

In response to what later became known as the decade of austerity, the Revd John Davies, then minister of Central Hall Methodist Church, Walsall, established Ablewell Advice in April 2012 as a mission project of the Church, offering free, confidential and independent debt advice.

Ten years later, the project continues to offer debt advice, but also now provides benefit advice including representation at court and at social security tribunals and has a computer room for people to use when job searching. Ablewell has links with many other agencies, and so can offer a signposting services to other local organisations for areas of law that are outside the scope of our expertise. In addition, Ablewell is a distribution centre for the Black Country Food Bank, enabling them to offer support to local people who are experiencing temporary difficulties.

The pandemic followed by the price rises seen this year, means that there has been a significant increase in the demands for all of our services including in numbers of people calling for support in dealing with debt, checking whether they would be entitled to benefits, applying for benefits and support in appealing decisions.

Our foodbank has seen the largest rise in demand – in the first three months of 2018 we supported 207 adults and 127 children in our foodbank, issuing a total of 2422kg of food, 1679kg of which was donated from local people and churches. In 2022, the same 3 months saw us helping 625 adults and 460 children, issuing 7941.57kgs (4319.24 kgs which was donated).

We regularly share the stories of people we have been able to help, on our Facebook page Ablewell Advice Walsall | Facebook including the stories of Maisy and Louise, who are typical of the clients we see. Maisy suffers with arthritis, asthma and anxiety and was turned down for both components of PIP (Personal Independence Payment); a mandatory reconsideration was also unsuccessful. Ablewell Advice were able to help Maisy with an appeal and go to a tribunal with her, where she was awarded the enhanced rate of both components of PIP - £152.15 per week, along with 90 weeks of back pay.

Louise asked for assistance to complete an Attendance Allowance form as she was struggling with declining mobility and had increasingly to rely on carers to help her complete everyday tasks. Ablewell Advice helped her to complete the form and as a result Louise was awarded the higher rate of Attendance Allowance - £89.60 per week - a huge help towards paying her carers.

The project is wholly reliant on donations and grants, and we are grateful to members of local churches, the Circuit, the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District and to the Methodist Connexion for all their practical and financial support. If you would like more information about Ablewell Advice or to find out how to financially support them please email info@ablewelladvice.org.uk

The Methodist Connexion has made money available to Ablewell Advice to support churches and circuits across the connexion who are looking to start up their own Debt and / or benefit advice provision. Please contact them for more details.