Our research and campaigns volunteers all working from home and are continuing to identify the issues which are affecting people during the coronavirus lockdown. We have also held video meetings with our colleagues around East Sussex to compare notes and see how we can work together. We produce evidence reports on individual cases which are sent to Citizens Advice head office. they use this information to gather a picture of what people are experiencing and lobby for adjustments to the current support measures introduced by the government. Subjects we've identified include:
- confusion about what financial support can be accessed for people who've been laid-off , self employed people, local businesses
- gaps in the support available from government
- delays in processing benefits and long waiting times on government helplines
- concern about lack of support from the suggested options compared to previous income levels
- people being laid off or made redundant by their employer and not furloughed
- increased domestic violence
- illegal evictions
- scams by people offering support to the vulnerable
- problems in temporary accommodation
We are in regular contact with our local MP, the DWP and Eastbourne Borough Council, sharing the evidence we have and pushing for changes and improvements during this difficult time.
We are also considering what is to come when the current lockdown restrictions are lifted and the support measures end. This will feed into our conversations with local decision makers about how life will change when we return to "normality". Our concerns include increased debt issues, evictions, relationship and family breakdown, errors and complications in the benefit system, closure of local businesses and increased unemployment.