Unlocking £339 Million: The Hidden Benefits That Could Transform Hartlepool and End Poverty

How Unclaimed Benefits and Lack of Support Are Said to have Fuelled the Summer 2024 Riots in Hartlepool & How Hartlepool Borough Council Plans to Tackle the Issue...

13th November 2024

With just 100 days passed since the Hartlepool riots in August 2024 exposing deep-seated frustrations among town residents, its claimed the results of a most recent study have found that people in Hartlepool are increasingly feeling left behind, disenfranchised, and stuck in a dangerous cycle of poverty, unable to access support they desperately need.

A recent officer delegated decision report by Hartlepool Borough Council sheds light on some of the underlying issues fuelling this discontent — where its claimed a staggering £339 million in unclaimed benefits is said to be slipping through the cracks each year in Hartlepool, support which in some cases could actually lift scores of local households out of poverty.

Despite efforts to bring employment opportunities to Hartlepool by previous governments, Hartlepool remains the town with some of the highest recorded levels of poverty in the country

Research by Loughborough University reveals a shocking truth about the state of the situation in Hartlepool, where its claimed countless households in the town are now struggling just to get by, yet are reportedly 'unaware' or 'unable' to claim financial assistance that could lift them out of poverty. The Council’s own data supports this, showing that investing in benefits maximisation can in fact make a significant difference.

In 2023/24 alone, the Council's £111,000 investment in financial support services is claimed to have helped secure over £1.5 million in benefits for local residents.

This included:

• Personal Independence Payments (PIP): 44% of claims

• Attendance Allowance: 14% of claims

• Disability Allowance for Children Under 16: 6% of claims

• Universal Credit: 5% of claims

• Pension Credit: 5% of claims

  
  

However, despite these successes, the benefits system still remains a confusing maze for many, particularly those dealing with complex cases where the report highlights a clear lack of awareness and support is preventing residents from accessing the help they need.

Learning from the Riots: A Shift in Strategy

Poverty, the increasing feeling of abandonment by the government & the murder of a local man at the hands of an illegal asylum seeker were the catalysts for some of the worst rioting seen in the UK in decades...

In the wake of the Summer 2024 riots and insights from the Poverty Truth Commission, Hartlepool Borough Council has recognised the urgent need for change. One of the measures recently introduced is mandatory training for all adult social care staff. This training focuses on benefits maximisation and includes access to the online benefits calculator, EntitledTo. This tool helps ensure that residents are informed about what they are eligible for, potentially bridging the gap between unclaimed benefits and those in need.

Yet, as awareness increases, so does demand for help, especially with complex benefit claims. To address this, Its said that Hartlepool Borough Council has allocated £60,000 to provide additional capacity through local voluntary and community sector enterprises (VCSEs).

Three local organisations — Advice@Hart, Citizens Advice Bureau, and West View Advice & Resource Centre — have now stepped up to the challenge. With an extra £20,000 each, these groups are expected to conduct 160 additional benefits assessment appointments per organisation, amounting to a total of 480 new assessments. This targeted initiative aims to connect even more local residents with the financial support they deserve.

The Council's proposed funding this initiative from the £600,000 allocated for community resilience and recovery. However, the report highlights that if this isn’t approved by the councils Finance & Policy Committee in November, the cost will be covered from the Council's financial reserves — a decision that supposedly reflects the critical need to address immediate financial hardships in the local community.

Will it be Enough?

Whilst the Council’s effort to boost awareness and provide additional financial support are steps in the right direction, critics claim they only scratch the surface of a much deeper problem. £339 million in unclaimed benefits isn't just a figure; it represents hundreds, if not thousands, of families in Hartlepool living well below the breadline, feeling abandoned by a system meant to support them, in what many claim is the apparent 'failings' of the flagship Universal Credit system beginning to show itself to be even more complicated to access than the previous legacy benefits system & in most cases, its forcing many away from claiming the benefits they're entitled to receive.

The real challenge is said to be ensuring that initiatives set up to tackle poverty in Hartlepool reach those who need them most. Awareness campaigns and additional appointments are helpful, but without addressing the systemic barriers that prevents people from accessing benefits — such as digital literacy, complex forms, and a lack of personal support — the full impact of this funding will never be realised, as a town still picking up the pieces of the Summer Riots feels increasingly disconnected & abandoned from those who are elected in government & locals who feel neither their council, nor the government are listening...