British Red Cross calls for targeted financial and mental health support for those pushed to the brink by pandemic

The British Red Cross is urging the Welsh Government to provide targeted financial and emotional support for those who need to access it during the pandemic, as a new report shows that too many people are not confident that they could get the support they need.

In new polling, two in five people in Wales said they were not confident that they would know where to go for financial support (41 per cent) or for mental health or emotional support (37 per cent) if they needed it during local restrictions.

With stay-at-home restrictions in Wales extended until at least 19 February, the charity is calling on the Welsh Government – as well as the UK government and local authorities – to do more to ensure that people facing hardship can receive the emergency financial and emotional support they need.

This includes widening the criteria for the Self-Isolation Support Scheme to boost uptake amongst those on low incomes and maintaining additional investment in the Discretionary Assistance Fund, to ensure as many people as possible can access emergency financial support.

The call comes as the British Red Cross publishes a new report ‘The Longest Year: Life under local restrictions‘ which explores the experiences of people living and working under Covid-19 restrictions in the UK.

Launching its report today (9 February), the Red Cross identifies two groups hardest hit by the pandemic. The first group is referred to as ‘newly vulnerable’, while the second group identifies those who are now ‘on the brink’ because Covid has exacerbated existing challenges they faced. 

Polling conducted to coincide with the report publication shows that in Wales:

Over a third of adults were not confident about where to go to access financial support (41 per cent) or mental health or emotional support (37 per cent) if they needed it during local restrictions 

A third (33 per cent) of people said that under local restrictions, they would not be confident to know where to go for help getting food if needed

Half of Welsh adults (50 per cent) find it hard to talk about their problems when so many people are having a difficult time due to the pandemic.  

To address the needs of both groups, the Red Cross is calling on the Welsh Government to: 

• Widen the criteria of the Self-Isolation Support Scheme to ensure maximum take up amongst those on low incomes who may be required to self-isolate. In Scotland, the similar scheme has now been extended to all workers earning below the Real Living Wage, people in receipt of a council tax reduction and those with caring responsibilities for over sixteens, when the carer meets other eligibility criteria^[1].
• Maintain increased investment in the Discretionary Assistance Fund (an emergency assistance fund which provides two types of financial grant that people do not need to pay back) and review issues around its low awareness amongst the public.
• Ensure information about mental health and emotional support is consistently published alongside updates about lockdown restrictions to normalise asking for help as the country builds back from the pandemic. 
• Ensure that all seven local health boards have the capacity, resources and skills to meet the individual mental health, loneliness and emotional support needs of those most at risk. 

In The Longest Year, the Red Cross finds the ‘newly vulnerable’ group consists of people who haven’t needed to ask for help before – are unsure where to access support and are put off by stigma and the belief that, with so many struggling right now, they should be able to cope on their own.

The second group who are now ‘on the brink’ were just about coping before the pandemic, and now face impossible choices between paying their bills, getting food to last the week or buying clothes for their children. 

Prudence, 39, a refugee from South Africa who now lives in Swansea, is among those who was only just coping before the pandemic began. 

She experienced domestic violence and homelessness shortly after arriving in the UK, but has now secured safe, permanent accommodation for herself and her young son. 

She finds it difficult to keep up with the changing restrictions and wasn’t aware of the extra support available to help with groceries, household finances and mental health.  

With no family in the UK, seeing friends and attending support groups was extremely important to her but the pandemic has put that on hold. 

She explains: “I’ve been in touch with people on the phone, but it can be hard. Before COVID I relied on those friends… I don’t have family around. I am the only person from my family in this country. 

“When you’re not from the UK you need these support groups. Seeing people face to face makes all the difference.” 

With her child no longer going into school, Prudence leaves the house even less, which she finds “frustrating.” 

Prudence is on benefits and income support. She is currently looking for work as she will lose her income support next year when her son turns five. She loves cooking and wants to make good food but often has cut down on her weekly shop to make ends meet.  “I’ve even taken out a budgeting loan,” she explains.  

The suddenness of the circuit breaker in October in Wales came as a shock to her and she found herself stranded at the bus station, unable to get home.  

“Information is not being shown or given to us in a way we can understand,” she says.

Kate Griffiths, Director for Wales at the British Red Cross said:  

“It’s deeply worrying that so many people are struggling to access the financial and emotional support they need.

“It is essential that information about what support is available is consistently published alongside updates about lockdown restrictions, to normalise asking for help as the country builds back from the pandemic. In the last year, we have seen some encouraging steps in Wales on tackling loneliness and this work must continue to ensure those who need it are able to access one-to-one person-centered support. We want to ensure everyone gets the assistance they need and relaxing the criteria on the self-isolation payments would ensure more people are protected by welcome interventions from government.

“The roadmap out of lockdown must then address the long-term economic and social impacts of COVID-19 across all areas of society.”