Cost of living support systems under strain, says Citizens Advice report
A new report highlights the challenges facing Shropshire residents who seek support with soaring living costs.
The report, published by Citizens Advice Shropshire (CAS) and Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance, presents a collection of real-life experiences shared by people facing challenges navigating local support services.
The compiled stories provide an insight into barriers and complexities faced by those in need in Shropshire, and where existing support systems have failed to catch them.
Collected in a survey over the winter months, the stories and data reveal issues with navigating the social support system, the stigmas of struggling financially and how rural Shropshire is being hit harder by the cost of living crisis.
A total of 48 per cent of people who responded to the survey found it difficult or very difficult to find support when they were in need, with the complexity of forms or time restrictions proving a hurdle for many.
CAS report these challenges lead to many giving up or falling through the gaps in support services.
One respondent told researchers: “You've no idea whether they're going to ask you for a certain number or if you need to find some information or anything else, and you won't get onto page two until you've filled in page one, by which time you're already giving out a load of information which may or may not be applicable.”
CAS said the stigma around struggling financially was preventing people from coming forward for support and has massive implications on a person’s mental health and sense of self-worth.
One participant said: “I was mostly embarrassed and a bit ashamed because you think you should be able to look after your child and his needs.”
The advice service also reported that the cost of living crisis was hitting Shropshire harder because of its rurality.
As one of the most sparsely-populated local authorities, almost half of the Shropshire population lives in rural areas.
Due to this, CAS says, those living in rural areas have more limited access to affordable food sellers, limited rural housing stock, poor transport infrastructure and digital exclusion - further limiting their access to services and increasing their need for support.
Now, the charity is calling on local decision makers, voluntary organisations and other stakeholders to work together to address the challenges.
Sophie Padgett, co-author of the report and former Shropshire Food Poverty Alliance coordinator said: "The report paints a worrying picture of a strained local support system and the enormous human impact this has at a time when so many are struggling to make ends meet.
"But, it also shows that there is much work to be proud of already happening in the county and sets out some clear recommendations around how local organisations can build on this to achieve the best outcomes for Shropshire residents.
"Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is far from over, so this is still urgent work."
Shropshire's Social Task Force, a partnership between community organisations and Shropshire Council, welcomed the findings. A spokesperson said: "We welcome this detailed and powerful examination of the difficulties experienced by some residents in accessing support in Shropshire.
"We thank the participants for sharing their stories and hope that we can work towards improving the safety net for our residents.
"Together, we have been working to deliver targeted actions to support households throughout the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. This includes communications to residents, training for frontline staff and a cost of living helpline.
"Our multi-agency approach brings the knowledge and expertise of local organisations together so that we can focus on the key challenges faced by our most vulnerable residents.
"We have been able to do a great deal of positive work but recognise that there is still a lot more that we must continue to do, as highlighted in this report.
"As a partnership, we support the recommendations in the report and remain committed to continue supporting our most vulnerable households.
"We have agreed to the continuation of the Social Taskforce and will take steps to update our actions in line with the recommendations and available resources."
The full report, 'When the safety net fails', is accessible online at cabshropshire.org.uk/when-the-safety-net-fails-experiences-of-navigating-local-support-services-during-the-cost-of-living-crisis
