Strategies and solutions to support “hidden and isolated” individuals

A blog by Paul Bristow, Chief Executive of Kidney Care UK

“Unclaimed benefits have increased by £4 billion since 2023” is one example of a statistic that reveals underlying systemic failure in how we approach support for vulnerable groups. As a national charity, Kidney Care UK, like so many organisations, are constantly trying to improve the policy and practice that underpins support for vulnerable communities, and which has such a profound impact on education, health outcomes and social participation. It is estimated that £23 billion of support that people are entitled to is unclaimed each year. How much more could we help communities if we simply started by ensuring that individuals received the support they were entitled to, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis.

That is why it was so refreshing to join the the latest of a series of British Gas Energy Trust roundtable events and meet with other likeminded charities, community groups and organisations to explore how to better alleviate fuel poverty. This roundtable had a particular focus on carers, but what was clear was that many of the themes that emerged mirrored conversations at previous events:

• Themes of “hidden and isolated” individuals not identified by the system
• Stigma that prevents individuals asking for support
• Economic and emotional challenges, often because of their condition or role, that limit earning potential or increase their costs
• The system itself, overly complex and difficult to navigate, particularly for individuals who are not ‘victims’ but have to use all their energy and resilience to simply keep going

The British Gas Energy Trust roundtables are not designed to just be forums that identify problems, but to look forward and explore strategies for long term solutions that act as more than a ‘sticking plaster’ and towards systemic and sustainable change. Themes like:

• Partnership and longer-term funding – bringing together a range of organisations from the third, public and private sector in longer term funded partnerships that can drive change through the combining of resources and moving beyond the merely reactive to looking at preventative solutions.
• Proactive identification of vulnerable individuals – Many charities are closely embedded in their communities and best placed to act by identifying individuals and signposting them directly to fast-tracked support from energy and utility companies, as well as for statutory support.
• Advocating for patients and carers, the vital link – Often individuals feel unable or unwilling to reach out for support, whether through stigma and feelings of shame, (often exacerbated by the response they feel they receive on customer helplines), or the overly complicated processes and systems they struggle to navigate. Many individuals prefer to speak to ‘their’ charity rather than private or statutory bodies. By working in partnership and harnessing the advocacy skills of charities, more people can be provided with the support to which they are entitled.

These roundtables are not just about money, but about the profound impact on peoples lives and working together to drive change. The failure to deliver support to people who are entitled to it, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis, needs to stop. We cannot afford not to close the unclaimed benefits and support gap.

To read more about the roundtables, please click here.