Tag: vulnerable people

Funding support for charities providing food, shelter and warmth

Over 800 charities and community organisations in England struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package

  • Food banks, warm hubs and safe spaces amongst the first 800 charities to benefit from support for frontline charities and community organisations meeting increased demand for critical services   
  • Up to £38 million already allocated to support organisations carrying out vital work helping the most vulnerable
  • Additional package of support to improve the energy efficiency of community organisations now open for applications

Over 800 charities and community organisations struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package to help vulnerable people.

Projects tackling food poverty, homelessness charities and services offering financial advice are amongst those to benefit from funding, providing a much needed funding boost for those  meeting increased demand for their critical services. 

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, will continue to make awards from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund  throughout December and January.

UK Minister for Civil Society Stuart Andrew said: “Charities and community organisations are on the frontline helping the most vulnerable in society, and we are allocating £100 million in recognition that they are struggling too, as demand and costs both increase. 

“Over 800 charities have already been awarded these significant grants, meaning they can continue to help those in need and we will continue to roll out funding at pace.”

This funding comes at a critical time as charities and organisations support more people struggling to heat their homes and access hot meals. Grants worth between £10,000 and £75,000 are being allocated to cover project and core costs, including for premise rent, utilities, staff and volunteers.

David Knott, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re proud to be distributing Government funding to enable frontline projects in England to support communities facing the impact of the rising cost of living.

“From the provision of food, shelter and safe spaces, to financial or housing advice, over 800 awards have already been made to critical services that will strengthen communities and improve lives at a challenging time.”

Examples of organisations that will be supported include:

  • Springwell Village Community Venue, Sunderland (above): Funding of £45,000 is supporting the project to focus on its food supply of hot meals and food parcels, and the provision of toiletry packs for disadvantaged young people and older people in the community. It will also provide a safe and warm space over the winter months to support those struggling with the rising cost of utility bills. 
  • Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, Merseyside: In the past 12 months BYCC have adapted their support offer to provide additional food, clothes and essential items due to significant surge in need. Funding of £39,500 will support the project to deliver these services and expand the offering to more beneficiaries, as well as increasing access to their warm space. 
  • Muslim Women’s Council, Bradford: The Curry Circle project provides hot meals in a warm environment to anyone facing food poverty. Funding of over £50,000 is supporting  it to revive a number of services including increased number of hot takeaways, doorstep delivery of food parcels and survival packs with sanitary products. They also aim to provide weekly access to debt advice at the venue where the meals are served.
  • SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets, London: SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a community-based charity providing services including after school clubs, holiday provision, youth services, employment support, women’s services, health and fitness programmes and older peoples’ services for disadvantaged residents in the borough.  Funding of over £28,000 will support the continuation of these services, including a food bank, youth safe hub, a warm hub for those aged 50+ and clothing recycling programme (below). 
  • The Centre Project Limited, Leicester: This community hub has been awarded over £40,000 to expand and continue its range of services, which includes a foodbank, warm space, hot meals, social activities, youth club and advice services. They support people who may be vulnerable due to loneliness, isolation, poor housing, unemployment, homelessness, mental health issues or in crisis. 
  • Housing Matters, Bristol: Housing Matters offers an advice, support and advocacy service for people in housing and financial crisis in and around Bristol, advising clients on disputes with landlords, rent arrears, disrepair and overcrowding amongst other issues. Funding of nearly £40,000 is supporting it to pay for the running costs of its housing advice service including telephone, email and face to face support offered at community centres.  
  • SHAPE Birmingham, Birmingham: SHAPE offers shelter for homeless young women. SHAPE is currently facing an increase in demand for its services due to a rise in the cost of living, alongside a rise in running costs of the hostel. Funding of over £35,000 is supporting them to hire a part time worker, enabling them to support more young women. 
  • Christian Action and Resource Enterprise, Grimsby: Christian Action and Resource Enterprise Ltd (CARE) is an established charity running various projects including housing, food, furniture and emergency supplies, warmth, a safe space, and financial and housing advice in North East Lincolnshire. Funding of £75,000 will pay for extra staff hours and the cost of additional IT infrastructure, allowing it to continue its work assessing residents for food and utility vouchers; giving advice and help with finances; support for those struggling with domestic abuse; and providing housing for vulnerable people.

As part of the £100 million package of support allocated during the Spring Budget, it was also announced that £25.5 million will be used to pay for measures to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency. 

Funding will help the long term energy and financial resilience of the sector as well as supporting the Government’s commitment to meeting a net zero target by 2050. Via independent energy assessments, organisations will be able to identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building.

The fund will also support the installation of new energy measures, such as insulation, heating and lighting systems, where applicants are eligible. 

Applications for the £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, administered by community charity Groundwork, are now open. Eligible organisations are able to apply for funding via the Groundwork website. 

This funding follows a support package of £750 million dedicated to help charities adapt and maintain essential services during the pandemic as part of the government’s unprecedented £400 billion COVID support package.

Awards offered under CCLF

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Help for vulnerable people to spot disinformation and boost online safety

Elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people will get better support to stay safe online and avoid being misled by disinformation thanks to a funding boost from the government to mark UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week.

  • Funding awarded to improve media literacy among vulnerable and ‘hard-to-reach’ groups
  • Will support projects across the UK to ensure everyone can protect themselves from online disinformation
  • Part of the government’s Online Media Literacy Strategy to help people be safe online

Elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people will get better support to stay safe online and avoid being misled by disinformation thanks to a funding boost from the government to mark UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week.

More than £1 million has been granted to 17 UK organisations to pilot new ways of boosting media literacy skills for people at risk of experiencing online abuse and being deceived into believing false information, such as vaccine disinformation, deepfake videos or propaganda created by hostile states.

Research shows some people struggle to engage and benefit from the range of media literacy education on offer, due to limited experience or overconfidence in using the internet, as well as a lack of awareness of how to access resources and their unavailability outside of schools and colleges.

The Media Literacy Taskforce Fund is one of two funding schemes created to target ‘hard-to-reach’ and vulnerable groups by investing in community-led projects to ensure everyone has the opportunity to improve their media literacy skills and protect themselves from online disinformation.

Social enterprise Freshrb will work with young people to develop their own podcasts exploring online dis- and misinformation to be aired on local radio. Another project run by charity Internet Matters will provide media literacy training for dozens of care workers and leavers in the Greater Manchester area.

Elderly people from diverse backgrounds in Leeds will have access to digital media skills training online and in community centres as part of the Leeds Older People’s Forum. Parent Zone is working with eight local councils including Calderdale, Luton and Middlesborough to deliver media literacy resources tailored to parents and carers of teenagers.

A separate scheme, the Media Literacy Programme Fund, will deliver training courses, online learning, tech solutions and mentoring schemes to vulnerable internet users.

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “With the rise of online disinformation, teaching people to identify fact from fiction has never been more important to public safety.

“As well as bringing forward new laws to tackle the root causes of these problems, we are funding organisations to give people the skills to stay safe online so everyone can benefit from all the internet has to offer.”

Winning projects in the Media Literacy Programme Fund to receive grants today include:

  • NewsGuard, which will work with ageing-focused charities to, deliver workshops to older adults to support them in spotting mis- and disinformation online;
  • The Economist Educational Foundation will work with disadvantaged schools and boost teachers’ skills through news literacy training and support students to engage with the news and think critically about what they’re consuming online;
  • Online Safety charity Glitch will deliver workshops and training to vulnerable and marginalised women to support their media literacy skills including tackling online abuse.

All the schemes are part of the government’s plans to deliver the Online Media Literacy Strategy, a national action plan to empower people to stay safe online by giving them the skills they need to think critically about what they see and read on the internet.

Launched in July 2021, the three-year strategy supports media literacy organisations to deliver education and initiatives in a more wide-reaching and effective way. The year two plan, published in April, is backed by more than £2 million in targeted funding, including today’s announcement.

This is in addition to the £250,000 grant funding delivered to five organisations working with schools to adapt media literacy resources for teachers working with disabled students in our year one action plan.

GMW_flyer_MEDIA_v3-1Download

The announcement coincides with the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, a global initiative celebrating the progress countries have made toward making media literacy education more accessible to its citizens by implementing national media and information literacy policies.

The grant funding complements the measures in the groundbreaking Online Safety Bill, which supports a safer online environment by requiring tech firms to protect children from harmful content and tackle criminal activity on their platforms.

Sunamp aims to reduce heating bills for vulnerable Edinburgh residents with new technology

Tranent-based thermal energy storage firm Sunamp has been awarded over £396,000 from SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund to deliver innovative micro-district heating networks, which will reduce heating bills for fuel-poor and vulnerable people while also decreasing carbon emissions in Edinburgh.

The funding from SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund has enabled Sunamp to provide five, micro-district heating networks that will produce low carbon heating for more than 50 Edinburgh residents.

The pioneering micro-district heating system aims to save over 75% on carbon emissions compared to gas boilers as well as providing the opportunity to recover heat from buildings with large occupancy and high passive heat gains in order to transfer it to the Edinburgh properties requiring heat.

Sunamp is being funded as part of SP Energy Networks’ £20 million Green Economy Fund, which supports the UK and Scottish Government’s ambitious plans to meet climate change targets. The fund also aims to boost local economic growth, improve air quality across the country and deliver a better future, quicker for all.

SP Energy Networks is part of the ScottishPower group, a Principal Partner for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow in November.

It is developing an energy model that will play a significant role towards reaching the UK’s world-leading climate change targets and is investing a total of £10 billion in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise and reach Net Zero emissions.

Frank Mitchell, CEO at SP Energy Networks, said: “Our Green Economy Fund is committed to ensuring that no one is left behind on the road to net zero emissions and this project provides critical support to local communities that are affected by fuel poverty.

“We know that Sunamp micro-district heating systems will make a significant difference to vulnerable residents in Edinburgh by making homes more energy efficient and bringing costs down so residents can keep their homes warm ahead of the winter months.

“We’re very proud to be funding this innovative project and supporting energy projects focused on tackling the decarbonisation of heat.”

Andrew Bissell, Sunamp Chief Executive: “SP Energy Networks and Sunamp share a vision of a world powered by affordable and sustainable energy. We couldn’t be more grateful for the support we’ve received from the Green Economy Fund as the new micro-district heating networks will provide heat to some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland’s capital.

“Sunamp is passionate about making buildings more energy efficient, sustainable and self-sufficient, whilst also reducing carbon emissions and SP Energy Networks’ funding has supported us in transforming how we heat and cool our buildings going forward”.

So far, 35 projects have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks across Central and Southern Scotland.

To find out more about the Green Economy Fund and the projects it supports, please visit: www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/green_economy_fund.aspx

Views sought on the best way to introduce ‘Anne’s Law’

The public are to be asked for their views on the best way to support people who live in adult care homes to maintain connections with family and friends.

A five-week consultation is to be held on introducing Anne’s Law – to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to be able to have direct contact with people who are important to them in order to support their health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government is seeking to explore a range of legal and practical considerations in order to make sure  any changes brought in are effective. These include how the new legislation will affect the competing rights and needs of others, including other care home residents and staff.

The consultation follows a commitment made by the Scottish Government in the Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, which was launched on 7 September, to deliver Anne’s Law. It builds on a  programme of work to enable people living in adult care homes to maintain family and friendship connections.

This includes strengthening the Health and Social Care Standards and a consultation was launched on 16 September seeking views on ways to do this.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Social connections and meaningful activity are important for the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in adult care homes. For many residents, family members or friends also play a vital role in their care, complementing the support provided by care home staff.

“The Scottish Government is committed to bringing in Anne’s Law to  ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and spend time with those who are important to them.

“It is important that we hear views and suggestions on the proposals to achieve this so that we do it in the best possible way.  We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape the proposals – including people who live in adult care homes, their families and friends, care home providers and staff and a wide range of other stakeholders.”

Anne’s Law is named after Anne Duke who lives in a care home in South Lanarkshire.

Anne’s daughter Natasha Hamilton, from Care Home Relatives Scotland, said: “We are very pleased to hear that the consultation for Anne’s Law is getting underway. The pandemic has caused great suffering for residents and relatives and has really taken its toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing.

“We have always believed that even during outbreaks, nominated carers such as husbands, wives, parents , sons and daughters should be enabled to spend time with their loved ones just as staff do.

“We sincerely hope legislation can be enacted that recognises the importance of family life for people in care and the need for personal connection and touch.”

 Anne’s Law: proposals for adults living in care homes to maintain family and friendship connections  – Scottish Government – Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot)

Most vulnerable could be offered booster vaccines from September

  • The UK welcomes JCVI interim advice on who to prioritise for a third dose
  • Pending further data and final advice, millions may be offered booster vaccine from September

Millions of people most vulnerable to COVID-19 may be offered a booster vaccination from September to ensure the protection they have from first and second doses is maintained ahead of the winter and against new variants, following interim advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

The JCVI’s interim advice is to plan to offer COVID-19 booster vaccines from September 2021, in order to prolong the protection that vaccines provide in those who are most vulnerable to serious COVID-19 ahead of the winter months.

The 2-stage programme would take place alongside the annual flu vaccination programme. Further details of the flu vaccination programme will be set out in due course.

The final JCVI advice will be published before September and will take into account the latest epidemiological situation, additional scientific data from trials such as Cov-Boost, real-time surveillance of the effectiveness of the vaccines over time and emerging variants. The final advice could change from the interim advice as further data is analysed.

The government is working closely with the NHS to ensure that if a booster programme happens it can be deployed rapidly from September. Further details will be set out in due course.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid said: “The phenomenal vaccine rollout has already saved tens of thousands of lives and prevented millions of infections, helping to wrestle back control of the pandemic and ease lockdown restrictions so we can return to normal as soon as possible.

“We welcome this interim advice, which will help us ensure we are ready in our preparations for autumn. We look forward to receiving the committee’s final advice in due course.

“We need to learn to live with this virus. Our first COVID-19 vaccination programme is restoring freedom in this country, and our booster programme will protect this freedom. We are working with the NHS to make sure we can rapidly deliver this programme to maintain protection for people in the winter months.”

Dependent on final advice, the booster programme will be designed to protect as many vulnerable people as possible from becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19 over the winter period.

COVID-19 vaccines provide very strong protection against serious illness. There is good evidence that 2 doses of any COVID-19 vaccine used in the UK will provide strong protection against severe disease for at least 6 months for the majority, and there is some evidence that longer lasting protection may be afforded to some.

As is common with flu, winter will lead to rising cases and further pressure on the NHS. The JCVI’s interim position on booster vaccinations is to ensure the protection that has been built up in the population does not decline through the winter months, and that immunity is maximised to provide additional resilience against variants.

As most younger adults will receive their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in late summer, the benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered by the JCVI at a later time when more information is available.

Vaccines minister, Nadhim Zahawi said: “Our COVID-19 vaccination programme has been a roaring success, with almost 85% of adults across the UK receiving a first dose and more than 62% getting both doses.

“We are now planning ahead to future-proof this progress and protect our most vulnerable from variants and flu ahead of the winter.

“Vaccines are the best way to stay on top of this virus and I urge everybody to take up the offer as soon as possible.”

The JCVI’s interim advice is that a third booster jab is offered to the following groups in 2 stages:

Stage 1. The following people should be offered a third dose COVID-19 booster vaccine and the annual influenza vaccine as soon as possible from September 2021:

  • adults aged 16 years and over who are immunosuppressed
  • those living in residential care homes for older adults
  • all adults aged 70 years or over
  • adults aged 16 years and over who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable
  • frontline health and social care workers

Stage 2. The following people should be offered a third COVID-19 booster vaccine as soon as practicable after stage 1 with equal emphasis on deployment of the influenza vaccine where eligible:

  • all adults aged 50 years and over
  • all adults aged 16 to 49 years who are in an influenza or COVID-19 at-risk group as outlined in the Green Book
  • adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: “Where the UK has reached so far on vaccination is truly fantastic. But we need to keep going and finish giving second doses to those remaining adults who have not had them; this is the best thing we can do prevent the disease from making a comeback which disrupts society later in the year.

“Being able to manage COVID-19 with fewer or no restrictions is now heavily dependent on the continued success of the vaccination programme. We want to be on the front foot for COVID-19 booster vaccination to keep the probability of loss of vaccine protection due to waning immunity or variants as low as possible. Especially over the coming autumn and winter.

“Fewer or no restrictions will mean that other respiratory viruses, particularly flu, will make a comeback and quite possibly be an additional problem this winter, so we will need to ensure protection against flu as well as maintaining protection against COVID-19.

“The announcement of interim advice from JCVI is good news. It shows that the vaccine experts are thinking carefully about how best to use vaccination to protect the most vulnerable and ensure everyone’s lives can remain as normal as possible for the autumn and winter.

“Of course we have to be driven by data, and there will be more data from vaccine booster studies for JCVI to look at over summer, so we should all remember that this advice is interim and might change between now and September. However JCVI has clearly set out the broad direction of travel which I agree with, and which ministers have accepted.”

The success of the vaccination programme is weakening the link between cases and hospitalisations. The latest analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England alone.

The government met its target of offering a vaccine to the most vulnerable by 15 April and is on track to offer a first dose to all adults by 19 July, 2 weeks earlier than planned.

Everyone over the age of 18 and over is eligible to get a vaccine. By 19 July, all those aged 40 and over and the clinically extremely vulnerable, who received their first dose by mid-May, will have been offered their second dose.

Data from Public Health England (PHE) shows that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. The analysis suggests the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is 96% effective and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is 92% effective against hospitalisation after 2 doses.

YouGov polling also shows the UK continues to top the list of nations where people are willing to have a COVID-19 vaccine or have already been vaccinated and ONS data published on 9 June shows that more than 9 in 10 (94%) adults reported positive sentiment towards the vaccine.

See JCVI’s interim advice on potential coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine programme.

SFRS worker asks communities to reach out

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worker has spoken of the plight of an elderly woman forced to live in her kitchen to stay warm – as she underlines the need to look out for the vulnerable this Christmas.

Louise Dalton is member of the Service’s dedicated Community Action Team, tasked with providing free Home Fire Safety Visits and advice to some of Scotland’s most vulnerable and isolated people. 

And she is urging communities to get in contact if they know of a relative, friend or neighbour who may be in need of assistance. Louise said: “I don’t think people truly understand the effect of social isolation.

“I will never, ever forget an elderly woman who was living near Glasgow city centre; she had limited mobility and had moved everything into her kitchen.  

“Her bed was in there; she spent all day sitting on a wooden dining chair and had a small electric heater because her gas had been shut off. She had a small portable stove that she made dinner on and at night she crawled over the table to get into her bed. 

“She had no one: no friends or family, no one to make sure she was eating, bathing, or staying warm. 

“It was a horrible situation for anyone to be living in, but there were also massive fire risks there and we supported her to start getting the help she needed from ourselves and our partners.”

During Lockdown, Louise has been working from home as part of a multi-agency helpline team which includes staff from SFRS and Glasgow City Council. 

They have made more than 11,000 calls to vulnerable people across Glasgow to help ensure they continue to get the support they need, including vital medical prescriptions. 

She has also been part of a nationwide partnership between SFRS and the SPFL Trust, delivering thousands of Christmas hampers to isolated and vulnerable people under the Festive Friends campaign launched by the trust earlier this month.

Louise believes communities can also play their part by calling 0800 0731 999 to signpost the SFRS to any other vulnerable people, on their behalf and with their permission, who may be vulnerable to fire or other risks – anywhere in Scotland.

She said: “Social isolation, fuel poverty, mental health issues can all affect anyone of any age and background so it’s been great that we’ve been able to keep working together but we still can’t reach everyone. 

“That’s why we’re asking people to help us – help us make sure no-one is alone this Christmas and that they get the long-term support that they need to stay safe.” 

Concern over Edinburgh care home failings

An Edinburgh care home is failing to provide adequate care to residents despite THREE visits in September, according to the latest fortnightly report by the Care Inspectorate to the Scottish Parliament.

Guthrie House Care Home on Lasswade Road, which is operated by Four Seasons Healthcare Group, was first visited by inspectors on 1 September, when a letter of serious concern over failings was issued. This was followed up by a visit two days later with representatives from NHS Lothian.

Inspectors found ‘people did not have sufficient access to fluids and were not supported promptly when in pain or distress. We were concerned about the care of residents, cleanliness of the environment and equipment, compliance with infection prevention and control and staffing levels’.

When inspectors visited Guthrie House again on 23 September they found no improvement in the support offered to indivudals experiencing pain and distress. Medication procedures were weak and there was no improvement to the quality of documentation relating to the support provided.

Commenting on today’s report, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said: “This is deeply concerning that Guthrie House still hasn’t made the necessary improvements to cleanliness of the home and residents who are in pain are still not being supported promptly.

“Full compliance with PPE guidance is crucial to ensuring that care home residents are safe and there can be no exceptions.

“Guthrie House has been repeatedly warned about cleanliness and following PPE guidance. Strict protocols must be put in place to turn the level of care at the home around.

“There are still a number of care homes in the Edinburgh and Lothian who are not following PPE and social distancing guidance fully and the message of full compliance must be reinforced.”

Scottish-Parliament-fortnightly-inspections-report-14-Oct-2020Download

Vulnerable still struggling to get food as Which? calls for urgent action

Which? is calling for action to help the most vulnerable after it found that more than a quarter could be at risk of going hungry because they have faced difficulty accessing basic food and essential groceries.

With shielding measures due to end soon in some parts of the UK, the consumer champion is calling on the UK’s four governments to extend free food parcels and other support for those who need it, to avoid millions of people being left behind if support is suddenly withdrawn.

Months into lockdown, Which? has found huge inconsistencies across the four nations with many people still finding the current system chaotic and overly complicated. 

Which? heard reports of care home workers forced to queue in busy supermarkets several times a day for basics like bread and milk – risking further spread of the virus – because they could not secure the delivery slots that they needed to provide for their residents.

Other concerning reports included a 93-year-old lady who had to wait 11 weeks for her first food parcel despite registering in week one and a 71-year-old with shingles who had to wait a month between supermarket click and collect slots.

The new research from Which? found that more than one in four (28%) vulnerable people across the UK had faced difficulty getting the food provision they needed in the week before they were surveyed (from 29th May to 17th June).

Which? found that the group of people struggling the most to get vital groceries were those who identified as being situationally vulnerable, meaning they are not at clinically increased risk from coronavirus but still require help accessing food because they are visually impaired or have learning difficulties, for example.

In the UK two in five (40%) situationally vulnerable people reported having difficulties getting essentials in the week prior to being surveyed, however, across the home nations, Which? found an alarmingly mixed picture. 

In Wales and Scotland, this number rose to nearly half (47% and 46% respectively), compared to almost two in five (38%) in Northern Ireland and more than a quarter (27%) in England. 

Even among the shielded group – those who are the most high-risk to coronavirus and for whom the most help, including priority supermarket delivery slots and food parcels, has been offered – Which? found that there was still a very high proportion of people facing difficulty getting the food and essentials needed in the week they were surveyed.

This figure was highest in England where a third (33%) of those shielding had struggled, while three in 10 (31%) in Northern Ireland, over a quarter in Scotland (27%) and a quarter in Wales (25%) also faced difficulties.

Those who were previously told to self-isolate because they are over 70, pregnant or otherwise considered clinically vulnerable had had the fewest problems getting food in the last week according to Which?’s survey. A fifth (20%), however, did struggle.

Officials say changes to the shielding guidance will only happen if the rate of community transmission remains low, but the governments in both England and Northern Ireland have said that free essential food boxes will stop being delivered at the end of July.

In both of these nations, those considered high-risk will still qualify for priority online supermarket delivery slots as well as being offered help with medicine deliveries and getting to medical appointments.

Which? is concerned that while the easing of lockdown restrictions may make life easier for people who are comfortable with and able to go into shops again, there is still a huge risk that many of those who have already been struggling will now be cut further adrift as they may still not be able to leave their homes to get groceries – especially if it involves long queues, taking a taxi or using public transport.

Which? is calling for access to free food boxes, priority delivery slots and other relevant assistance to be made available for as long as medical advice or practical restrictions, such as social distancing, are in place. The help should be extended to include not only the most-high risk but also those who are situationally vulnerable and have so far been sidelined.

This would mean that central and local governments will need to accurately assess and identify which consumers remain vulnerable so that they can also be given access to appropriate support such as priority supermarket delivery slots or local food provision through other means.

Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection and Food Policy at Which?, said: “It is a real concern that months into lockdown, the current system of food provision is still not working for so many of those who need it the most. 

“Some people could now be looking at a cliff edge where shielding restrictions are lifted and they are left to fend for themselves, cut off from outside help in getting essential groceries.

“Which? is now calling for the UK’s four governments to work with the food industry, local authorities and charities to ensure a longer-term plan for supporting all of those who are at risk and need support is in place by the end of July, so that no vulnerable person faces difficulties in accessing the basic food supplies they need.”

Cashing Out: urgent action needed to protect payment lifeline

Vulnerable people risk being left with no way to pay for essential products and services as the coronavirus crisis further accelerates the UK’s shift to a cashless society, new Which? research reveals. The consumer organisation is calling for government action to ensure that the cash system does not collapse at a time when millions of people still rely on it. 

A survey by the consumer champion found that half (51%) of those looking after the finances or grocery shopping of someone else had been paid in cash in return for doing shopping, highlighting its continued importance in communities across the country and the huge challenge that a cashless society presents for those who are not yet ready or able to make digital payments.

As consumers are also experiencing difficulties paying with as well as taking out cash, Which? is pressing for action from the government and financial regulators to ensure millions of people aren’t left abandoned as a result of the outbreak that’s put additional pressure on the UK’s already fragile cash network.

The Which? study of more than 2,000 people, conducted at the start of May, reveals that nearly one in five reported that they were managing finances or ordering food and essentials for someone outside of their immediate household.

Of those, 32 per cent had bought food from a shop for others and been paid for it in cash, and 29 per cent had ordered for someone online and been paid for it with cash – while some responded that they had done both.

Which? has heard of numerous cases where cash is essential for this sort of help, including one person who is reimbursed in cash for delivering supplies to their vulnerable 91-year-old uncle, and another who shops for neighbours twice a week – after cash and a shopping list have been posted through their door.

The research also highlighted that one in 10 people were refused by shops when trying to pay for items with cash, at a time when only those that were permitted to sell essential goods were open. A quarter of those were left unable to purchase the item in question on at least one occasion as they had no alternative means of payment.

And while nearly one in three people reported still using cash to make some or all of their payments, seven per cent said they had found it more difficult to take out cash since the outbreak began.

With many retailers now encouraging non-cash payments and banks reducing branch opening hours, Which? supports schemes introduced by banks and businesses to provide access or alternatives to cash during this crisis.

However, it remains unclear how effective these have been at addressing the root of the problem. It believes these are unlikely to be a viable long-term fix, and that cash-dependent consumers could be left completely excluded from engaging with the economy if cash is not urgently protected.

Despite the clear need for cash, the coronavirus pandemic has pushed the cash system that millions of people still rely on into deeper peril, just months after the government vowed to protect it.

In March, the government committed to legislating to protect access to cash for as long as people need it, after warnings that the system could collapse within two years. This followed investigations from Which? that found the UK had lost a staggering 10,500 free-to-use cash machines since 2017, and over a third of bank branches in less than five years.

However, the coronavirus pandemic has drastically reduced the timeframe for intervention, and the government’s pledge risks becoming obsolete if current trends continue to go unchallenged, which risks cutting off millions of people from the main form of payment they rely on to purchase essential products and services.

Coronavirus has rapidly accelerated the decline in cash use. Latest figures from Notemachine, one of the UK’s largest ATM operators, show that cash withdrawals have reduced by 45 per cent since lockdown began – although the average value withdrawn has increased by 13 per cent.

And while figures from Link, which manages the UK’s largest cashpoint network, show that approximately £1 billion is still being withdrawn from ATMs every week, it says the overall decline means that the current level of cash usage is now at a level that was not expected for five years.

As well as urgently introducing the legislation it committed to in the budget, Which? is calling on the government to take all necessary steps to ensure people can continue to use cash to pay for essential goods and services during the coronavirus pandemic.

This includes providing support for businesses to accept cash and offering clear guidance on how to handle banknotes and coins safely.

It also believes the FCA must collect and publish information about emergency measures that individual banks have put in place, including an assessment of their long-term suitability and effectiveness.

Which?’s proposals have been backed by a diverse group of organisations that all share its concerns about the implications of the rapid decline of cash availability and acceptance. These include the Access to Cash Review – led by Natalie Ceeney, Age UK, the RSA, Independent Age, Alzheimer’s Society and Link.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “The coronavirus outbreak has shown that cash remains vital to many consumers, particularly for vulnerable people who rely on it to pay for essential supplies. 

“As a result, it’s vital that the already fragile cash system is not left to collapse completely as the UK’s shift to a cashless society accelerates.

“The government must urgently press ahead with the legislation it has already committed to before it becomes obsolete, as failure to do so risks excluding millions of people from engaging in the economy.”