100 organisations join campaign to give voice to millions supported by benefits

 

Locality became the 100^th member of the Who Benefits? campaign, which launched in October this year, with polling showing widespread support for benefits as a safety net for those in need.[i]

The Who Benefits? campaign now includes a broad coalition of charities, professional networks and community groups such as RNIB, The National Autistic Society, Oxfam, the Stroke Association, Carers UK, Working Families and the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Together, these groups represent millions of people who have relied on support from benefits because of ill health, caring for a loved one, losing their job or just struggling with low wages and the high cost of living.

The campaign was brought together by charities The Children’s Society, Crisis, Gingerbread, Macmillan Cancer Support and Mind. It was launched to bring the voices of the millions of people who have been supported by benefits at some point in their lives to a debate often dominated by extreme examples and stereotypes.

The campaign is calling on politicians, the public and the media to do more to understand the lives of people supported by benefits and focus on real reasons that people are struggling such as low wages, a rising cost of living and the housing crisis.

Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:

“All of us will care for or need care from loved ones at some point in our lives. Following a diagnosis of dementia, treatment for cancer or the birth of a disabled child – every family may need support from the benefits system, as they cope with the financial impact of having to cut working hours or give up work to care and the extra costs of ill-health and disability. The benefits system isn’t there for a small part of society – it is vital for all of us.”

Joanna Holmes, Chair of Locality, said:

“Locality is delighted to be the 100th member of the Who Benefits? campaign.  A decent benefits system is a hallmark of a decent society and we believe it is really important that the voices of those living on benefits are heard – and that people understand the real help that benefits provide to individuals, families and communities.”

Tom Madders, Head of Campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said:

“Benefits are a lifeline and not a luxury for thousands of disabled people and their families across the UK. We frequently hear from people with autism who are worried about what the future might hold if they didn’t have the support of benefits.

“Without benefits many people with autism and those who care for them would be left isolated and adrift from society.  Campaigns like this are vital in raising awareness of the pressures that people living with disability are currently under and we hope that by working together we can draw attention to the human faces behind the benefits debate.”

Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive of Working Families, said:

“We support the Who Benefits? campaign.  We know from callers to our helpline that there are times when working parents and carers need some support from benefits.  It is this support, often short term, which enables them to balance work and caring responsibilities and still make work pay.” 

The campaign is asking people to share their stories through whobenefits.org.uk.  Hundreds of people who have been supported by benefits have already added their voice through the website and through social media with the hashtag #WeAllBenefit.

-Ends-

Notes to editor:

[1][1] The Who Benefits? Campaign launched in October this year with polling from YouGov showing that eighty-one percent agree that ‘benefits are an important safety net to support people when they need help’, while 64 percent agree that ‘we all benefit as a society when support from benefits is available for those that need it’. Details of the launch can be found here: http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/news-views/press-release/campaign-launches-give-voice-people-supported-benefits

• The Who Benefits? campaign is giving a voice to people who have been supported by benefits at some point in their lives. It uses real stories to show the reality of who needs help, why they need it and the difference it makes. It was brought together by The Children’s Society, Crisis, Gingerbread, Macmillan Cancer Support and Mind.

• To find out more about the campaign or to tell your own story please visit www.whobenefits.org.uk or follow us on [email protected]

• The 100 organisations that are supporting the Who Benefits? campaign are:

1. Action for Children
2. Action for ME
3. Al Mizan Trust
4. Anthony Nolan
5. Aurora New Dawn
6. Bipolar UK
7. Bliss
8. Broadway
9. Camden Federation of Private Tenants
10. Carers Trust
11. Carers UK
12. Catholic Children's Society (Westminster)
13. Centre for Mental Health
14. Centre for Sustainable Energy
15. Centrepoint 
16. Child Poverty Action Group
17. Children England
18. Church Action on Poverty
19. Community Links
20. Contact a Family
21. Cool Tan Arts
22. Crisis
23. CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network)
24. Cystic Fibrosis Trust
25. DeafBlind UK
26. Disability Cornwall
27. Disability Rights UK
28. Drugscope
29. Emmaus UK
30. Epilepsy Action
31. Epilepsy Society
32. Every Disabled Child Matters
33. Family Action
34. Gingerbread
35. Grandparents Plus
36. Guide Dogs
37. Hafal
38. Homeless Link
39. Housing Justice
40. Just Fair
41. Law Centres Network
42. Leonard Cheshire Disability
43. Locality
44. Lymphoma Association
45. Macmillan Cancer Support
46. Mencap
47. Mind
48. Money Advice Trust
49. MS Society
50. National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers
51. National Council for Voluntary Youth Service
52. Newcastle Council for Voluntary Service
53. Norwood
54. Oxfam
55. Parkinsons UK
56. Photovoice
57. Poverty Alliance
58. Rethink
59. Rightsnet/ Lasa
60. RNIB
61. Scope
62. Scottish Association for Mental Health
63. Scottish Women's Aid
64. Second Step
65. Sense
66. Shelter
67. Sitra
68. South East London ME Support Group
69. SPAN
70. St Helen's YMCA
71. St Mungo’s
72. St Petrocks
73. Stroke Association
74. Suicide Safer London
75. Tenant Participation Advisory Service
76. Terrence Higgins Trust
77. Thames Reach
78. The Action Group
79. The Association of Panel Members
80. The Cardinal Hume Centre
81. The Chartered Institute of Housing
82. The Children's Society
83. The Connection at St-Martins-in-the-field
84. The Foyer Federation
85. The Grassmarket Community Project
86. The Mental Health Foundation
87. The Metro Centre
88. The Motor Neurone Disease Association
89. The National Autistic Society
90. The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society
91. The Neurological Alliance
92. The Passage
93. The Pavement
94. Turn2Us
95. United Response
96. United Welsh Housing Association
97. Women’s Budget Group
98. Working Families
99. YMCA
100. Z2k