People in poverty have borne brunt of coronavirus pandemic, says boss of New Start Highland as the charity launches new project with Changeworks to help tackle fuel and food poverty
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For people experiencing the greatest poverty, it can be a choice between whether to eat or heat, according to a Highland charity.
New Start Highland, whose mission is to tackle poverty, homelessness and long-term unemployment in the region, works with some of the most vulnerable people.
It is launching a project targeting people experiencing fuel and food poverty and will give energy advice and basic cookery classes.
It comes against the background of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the cutting of £20 from Universal Credit and looming increases in National Insurance contributions from next April which will impact not only unemployed people, but also the ‘working poor’.
With 33 per cent of all households in the Highlands already living in fuel poverty – putting it among the worst in Scotland – the Inverness Courier launched a new End the Chill campaign last month.
New Start Highland chief executive James Dunbar says the charity, founded 21 years ago, is doing all it can to help vulnerable people.
Reflecting on the impact of the pandemic, he said: “We have all faced the same storm but we have not all found ourselves in the same boat.
“People in poverty, those in insecure accommodation, are among the groups who have borne the brunt of the pandemic.”
The new project involves a collaboration with Changeworks, Scotland’s leading environmental charity and gas distribution company SGN.
It aims to target groups most vulnerable to fuel and food poverty in a timely way to maximise efficient energy use, educate people in carbon monoxide awareness and help develop cooking skills to improve independent living standards and support affordably warm homes and healthy eating.
“We would like the UK government to reverse the decision and genuinely level up and start with those in the greatest poverty including those in working poverty,” Mr Dunbar said.
“But we are aware there is unlikely to be any U-turn.
“We accept the reality and we are launching a new service which is trying to address the key issues which really impact people and pull them out of this negative situation so people can heat and eat.”
He also reflected on the increasing need for food banks.
“We are meant to be a rich nation and the growth in food banks is exponential,” he said.
Deputy chief executive Mairi Macaulay said people in dire straits often tried to hide their situation.
“I don’t think anyone has any idea of who is in poverty,” she said.
“It is something people in that situation don’t want to talk about and try and hide.
“People often find themselves in real crisis before they seek help.”
She continued: “Some stories are extremely harrowing.
“We have come across people who have not eaten for a couple of days, or have had one loaf of bread for two or three days.
“They might not ask for help, I guess sometimes whether it is a sense of pride or a sense of hope that help will come somehow, or they wait until the next benefit, or they don’t know where to turn.”
Iain Herd, funding manager for New Start Highland, said the new affordable warmth project would be rolled out over the next year.
“The roll out of our project will promote the health benefits of warmer homes and better dietary management, helping our most vulnerable community members enjoy a more productive and healthier lifestyle,” he said.
Changeworks, which works to reduce fuel poverty as part of its mission, has seen a rise in demand for its services.
It welcomes the new venture in partnership with New Start Highland.
Sam Mills, head of fuel poverty reduction at Changeworks, said: “Working closely with their housing support staff means energy advice will be built into the support each person receives when they move into their new home – they’ll be supported to build up skills to avoid fuel poverty from the word go.
“We believe working in this way will achieve so many benefits – skills gained to better manage energy costs, affordable warmth, reduced anxiety not worrying about energy bills, increased security of tenancy and prevention of energy crisis issues.”
He said Changeworks had experienced huge increases in demand for support – last year, 67 per cent of people supported by its affordable warmth services had high energy bills, were at threat of disconnection or were in debt to their energy suppliers.
The project has received SGN and SSEN funding.
Courier launches campaign to help fight fuel poverty
