CHURCHES and Christian organisations are crucial supporters of families struggling with debt and poverty, a Christians Against Poverty (CAP) report published on Thursday suggests.
Almost one quarter of the 2000 adults surveyed for the report, Beyond Belief: The local church and poverty, said that they or a family member had received help from these groups over the past five years. More than half believed that such support was vital, and almost two-thirds said that it would continue to be necessary over the next 12 months.
“Local churches have always been known as places that offer practical care and support to their communities, but our latest research reveals the sheer scale at which they’ve been having a positive impact during the cost-of-living crisis,” CAP’s chief executive, Stewart McCulloch, writes in a foreword.
The support offered by churches includes free food packages or meals, employment support, mental and emotional support, free debt advice and money-management skills, assistance in claiming benefits, energy top-ups for the home, food and other essentials during Christmas time, and provision of toiletries, cleaning, and feminine hygiene products.
The survey was carried out by Opinium between 29 August and 2 September, with respondents across the UK. Polling data by region show the impact of support to be highest in London, where 52 per cent reported receiving support. Yorkshire came next, at 29 per cent, followed by Scotland at 23 per cent
“Life is and has been very tough for millions of low-income households in recent years, with the price of essentials such as food and energy consistently rising and continuing to do so,” Mr McCulloch says.
A mother of three, Jade, describes the help that she received in a crisis as transformative. “Every single time, feeding my kids trumped paying the bills. I couldn’t put them to bed knowing they hadn’t eaten, but, at the same time, the debt continued to rack up,” she says. “I called CAP and instantly they were like, ‘How can we help? Do you need food? Do you need an energy top-up?’ It was the turning point in my life.”
CAP has run debt centres in partnership with churches across the UK for 30 years. The manager of the debt centre at St Peter’s, Halliwell, in Bolton, Sam Wolstencroft, says: “I’ve walked into households where the rooms are freezing cold and the fridges and cupboards are bare. People often can’t afford the basics we all deserve.
“We get to bring hope and light into these situations through compassionate, expert support in our area. . . It’s wonderful to see that this new report reflects the positive impact of the local church working to show the love of Jesus by offering practical help.”
Almost half of CAP’s clients have gone without food in the past year, and the same percentage have borrowed money to pay for their regular food shopping. The charity is organising an urgent appeal for £30,000 to help churches to provide emergency food for families in winter and long-term face-to-face support.
