December 2011 - Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

6 The Shuttle DECEMBER2011
New service to tackle domestic
violence in Blackburn with Darwen
Scheme will help both men and women
By Shuttle Staff
4Viv Blackledge of
the WISH centre
Pictures courtesy of the Lancashire Telegraph.
4Public show
support at
launch of new
service
A new domestic abuse service
has been launched to help both
men and women.
The round the clock service will
provide one to one help and has already
helped almost four times support
as many people as this time last
year.
Everyone who calls will be linked
in to a range of services designed
to meet their needs, from improved
home security to emotional and
practical support for victims and
their families. The service also offers
abusers help to stop and change
their behaviour or face the full consequences
of the law.
“Many women and men are never
physically harmed but are emotionally
damaged every day. They live
as though they’re walking on eggshells,
constantly criticised, blamed
for everything that goes wrong and
always wondering what trivial thing
will spark the next outburst,” said
Councillor Pat McFall, who leads on
domestic abuse.
“Often their partners control
every aspect of their lives, cutting
them off from family and friends,
controlling the purse strings and undermining
their self confidence so
much they think there is no way out.
There is.
“We can help with everything
from relationship counselling to help
abusers change to practical support
to keep you and your children safe.
Please call and get help.”
The service is expected to save
front line services, particularly the
NHS, the police, the benefit system
and the courts £7 for every £1 spent.
You can call the helpline anytime in
confidence on (01254) 260465 or
text 077 423 96442 at weekends.
MON£Y MATT£RS
A new column dedicated to keeping you informed and
up to date on benefits changes and welfare reform.
There are many changes to benefits
happening now and in the
future.
They are generally called welfare
reform. People are concerned and
want to know what they are.
The main changes to benefits will
come through the Welfare Reform
Bill, which is going through Parliament
now.
Central to the proposed plan is
the creation of a universal credit, a
process that will begin in 2013 and
continue into the next parliament.
The universal credit will see
existing out-of-work and in-work
entitlements, such as Jobseeker’s
Allowance, Income Support and
Housing Benefit, paid as a single
lump sum although it is unclear how
many benefits will be included in the
new payment.
The Council will be talking to
people affected before future changes
are made to advise them about
how they affect them.
What further changes are happening
to housing benefit in
2012
From January 1 the age threshold
for the Housing Benefit shared
accommodation rate (SAR) will increase
from 25 to 35.
The SAR restricts claimants to
the rate for a single room in a shared
house, rather than the rate for a selfcontained
one bedroom property.
The rate In Blackburn is now
£50.50. The change could affect up
to 400 people in the borough.
In April 2012, the local housing
allowance (LHA) will be set in line
with the Consumer Prices Index
(CPI) instead of the Retail Prices Index
(RPI).
CPI and RPI are both measures
of inflation, but while RPI includes
housing costs and mortgage interest
payments, CPI does
not. A switch to CPI is expected
to lead to lower
benefits.
These changes
follow several made
in April 2011 including
setting LHA at
the 30th percentile of
rents.
This change means
LHA rates are calculated
on the 30th percentile of local rents
rather than the mid point.
The bottom line is that housing
benefit now pays less out for the
same accommodation - and the
difference will have to be
paid by tenants.
Claimants were given
nine month protection
from the change which
is due to finish from
January.
How many people
have been assessed
through the
Work Capability Assessment
Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA) was introduced in October
2010 to replace a range of incapacity
benefits.
Residents receiving the older
style incapacity benefits are required
to undertake a reassessment
through a Work Capability Assessment
(WCA) and then are moved to
ESA, or other benefits deemed more
appropriate to their circumstances.
This exercise will run until 2014.
People undergoing a WCA may
be asked to take a medical assessment.
There is a right to appeal.
More than 1,000 residents have been
moved to the new benefit. More than
800 people are still to be assessed.
Contact (01254) 583350 or email:
advice@blackburn.gov.uk for further
advice and guidance on this.
DECEMBER2011