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00:00Hi, my name's Annette, Annette Groves. I'm the Manager for Advice Portsmouth and Adult Intervention Projects.
00:06So, yeah, why don't you explain what you do here really, what the service is and how you help people.
00:11So, at Advice Portsmouth, we provide free advice and support to those living in PO1 to PO6
00:18or if they're a Portsmouth City Council tenant living in Haven, Weehob Farm, Leigh Park areas.
00:25We help with welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer and general family issues.
00:32So there are a different range of things that we do help with, such as form filling, challenging a benefit decision.
00:40Debts can be debt relief orders, bankruptcy, negotiating repayment plans.
00:48Housing can be from tenancy deposit, evictions, disrepair, the list is endless.
00:57Employment could be grievances, discrimination, disciplinary, unpaid holiday or unpaid wages.
01:05Consumer second-hand cars, a lot of it's refunds.
01:11And general family issues is just information as regards to divorce, child contact.
01:17Wow, so yeah, really, really broad then. And this is free advice, is that right?
01:22Yes, it is. It's free to anyone that lives within PO1 to PO6.
01:26And is it kind of like a drop-in, so you walk through the door or do you kind of need to get in contact with yourselves first and book an appointment?
01:32What's the situation there?
01:33No, it's a drop-in service. You come in any time we're open.
01:36So we open Monday to Wednesdays 9am to 5pm. Thursdays we do a late night, 1pm to 7.30pm and Fridays 9pm to 4.30pm.
01:45If you're unable to come in, we can offer telephone and email advice as well.
01:50So yeah, I kind of feel like it's an incredible service, but maybe something that people don't know is available to them on the doorstep.
01:58How many people do you get coming through the door in a day?
02:01On an average, we get 60 to 70 people a day.
02:05Wow, okay. So yeah, is there more of a common thing that you get coming in or is it very varied?
02:13For example, today we've had a lot of benefit form fillings, so a lot of people need help and support.
02:20We have benefit forms such as personal independence payment, disability living allowance, attendance allowance, we have badge form, carers allowance.
02:30So yes, form filling is one of our top demands.
02:35And obviously for the last few years or longer really, we've been in a bit of a cost of living crisis and further economic situation.
02:43Before that, have you seen a real upturn in demand for your services over the last few years?
02:48Yes, ever since we've come back and doing face-to-face since Covid, we've noticed a change with people struggling financially
02:58and also struggling with their mental health.
03:00But we have noticed in the last year, people are struggling to afford private rent because their rent has been increased.
03:10It's not a small increase, it's quite a huge increase.
03:13And if they're working or on benefits, they're struggling to try and keep up with the payments.
03:21So we do get a lot of people coming in with affordability.
03:25And hand in hand with that is obviously the debt side of things.
03:30I know a lot of people are struggling out there at the moment and that's something that you can help with as well.
03:36Yes, so we encourage people to come in with all their paperwork.
03:40So we encourage them to come in with all their paperwork from creditors and we ask them to complete a debt pack.
03:48So that includes a financial statement and a checklist of items we like to see.
03:53So we like to see a couple of months worth of bank statements.
03:57So we can check that the bills on the financial statement are the correct figures.
04:04And we look to see if we can maximise their income first.
04:08That's our main priority to make sure.
04:11And also to make sure that if they've got enforcement agents knocking on their door that we try and get a hold on those as soon as possible.
04:19So we can go through their financial statement.
04:22There are options that we can look at.
04:25So if they have disposable income, which is quite rare at the moment, a lot of people are struggling.
04:31We would look at payment plans or we would look to see if a debt relief order or bankruptcy is more suitable to them.
04:40So with a debt relief order, the government announced that there's no longer a fee to be paid for debt relief orders from April this year.
04:48So it used to be a £90 fee to put an application through.
04:52It's now nothing to pay for.
04:55And they've increased the limit from £30,000 to £50,000 on the level of debts.
05:00So anything under £50,000 you'll be eligible for a debt relief order.
05:06But before we look at those options, we need to make sure it's the right option for them.
05:12But we do get feedback from people who have had a debt relief order saying that it's taken a huge weight off their shoulder.
05:20They're debt free and they can start afresh and they can learn to budget.
05:24And we give them a budget pack.
05:27So it's got a meal planner in there, a shopping list and a notebook and an expanding file so they can keep all their paperwork together.
05:34Keep an eye on what's going out and what's coming in.
05:38With bankruptcy, that's if you've got debts more than what the DRO level is.
05:44But the only trouble with bankruptcy is over £680 fee, which a lot of people don't have.
05:53We have been lucky with the Household Support Fund.
05:56Unfortunately, it's ending this month.
05:59They've been able to help contribute to the client's bankruptcy fee so that the clients can start afresh.
06:07Right, okay.
06:09And do you have anything that shows what kind of impact that you've had on the communities regarding debt?
06:15So from April 2023 to March 2024, we have helped people write off over £642,000.
06:25That's quite a hefty amount then.
06:27Yes.
06:28So the Department for Work and Pensions provide a winter fund to people of pension age.
06:34And it's been in the news recently that they are stopping that.
06:39It is worrying because we do notice that people of pension age are too frightened to put their gas and electric on,
06:48their heating, and they will sit at home in the cold.
06:53If people are struggling and worried about their energy bills, do please come and see us at Advice Portsmouth
07:01because we can look to see if there's any help and support.
07:04But also, we do work in partnership with Switched on Portsmouth at Portsmouth City Council that do help and support with energy.
07:12But for older people as well, especially if they're worried about the fuel allowances and etc. coming up, the fund,
07:19it must be quite difficult for them as well to maybe get into the Advice Centre face-to-face.
07:25Are there other options available?
07:27Yes, we offer outreach services.
07:30So we offer the first Wednesday of each month at St Michael and All Angels Church.
07:36That's in the afternoon, 1 till 4.
07:39The third Wednesday of the month, we go down to the Carers Centre down at Southsea.
07:47And that is from 9 till 12.
07:49And the fourth Wednesday of the month, we're at Hive at the Central Library at Guildhall Square.
07:56And we do 10 till 2.
07:58But we also do offer home visits.
08:02And would that just be if they get in touch with you online for home visits or give you a call?
08:06They can phone, they can email us and we can look to see a suitable, convenient time for one of our advisors to go out and meet with them.
08:15Right, thank you.