A charity which supports people dealing with debt has said it is struggling to attract ambassadors as the topic of money is considered too taboo.
Paperweight, the Jewish equivalent of the Citizens Advice Bureau – and affectionately known as the “community advice bureau” – receives 10 to 15 new clients a day, many of whom are overwhelmed by financial worries and the mass of paperwork and bureaucracy these often entail.
Aside from helping clients deal with the practicalities of falling into debt, Paperweight can also give administrative support with welfare benefits, housing, elder care, family law and post-death paperwork.
On January 26 and 27, the charity, whose headquarters are in Hendon, will hold its annual match-funding campaign to raise £450,000, but its success was reliant on another 50 people signing up as fundraisers, the charity’s CEO told the JC.
Bayla Perrin said that she feared the charity’s focus on money problems was putting people off becoming pageholders, whose role would be to promote the fundraiser to family and friends via their WhatsApp and social media.
“Finance is the last taboo in the UK, so people feel awkward talking about it,” she told the JC. “It’s now easier for people to talk about abuse or mental health, but finance and debt are very private issues. People will go to the grave without saying what they earn, and if they need help, they don’t like to advertise it.”
Perrin stressed that the requirements of being a pageholder would be minimal as the charity had ready-made material to send out, and fundraisers wouldn’t need any knowledge of finance or IT. “Anybody can do this,” she said.
According to Paperweight, a quarter of the Jewish community is living in poverty, the equivalent of 15,000 families, with Covid and the cost-of-living crisis adding to their financial burden in the past five years.
At the same time, there has been an increasing amount of bureaucracy and form-filling required when it comes to accessing benefits, said Perrin, often leaving those already struggling in crisis.
“People can feel really alone. If someone has lost a partner, people may bring food round, which they definitely need, but who knocks on their door to say that they are now entitled to a reduction in council tax?
“We provide a soft landing, a hug on the phone when people are feeling vulnerable. One of our goals is to be there for someone before they get to tipping point.”
Struggles with debt and paperwork can leave people feeling very alone (Photo: stock image)
When someone contacts the Paperweight helpline, they will be able to speak to an assessor, who will then put them in touch with a case worker. There is no limit to the number of free sessions clients can receive and the service is entirely confidential.
“The same caseworker will handhold the client throughout the entire process, but we try to enable the client to do as much as they can. This is very important as it’s part of the healing process, and it can give someone back their confidence,” said Perrin.
The charity also offers a service called Paperlite, which is a monthly visit to people who may be more vulnerable and unable to leave the house, perhaps due to old age or childcare obstacles.
“The same caseworker will visit to ensure that their client is on top of their paperwork, helping them with their domestic bureaucracy. With elderly people, it’s an amazing way to allow people to live in their own home, especially if their family lives far away.”
Perrin set up the charity with Benjamin Conway in 2011 after she found herself helping friends deal with the practicalities of bereavement.
“A bereavement doesn’t just mean the loss of a person. It’s about the loss of the norm, whether that is caused by a death, a diagnosis, a job loss or something else. We were seeing that when something like that happened, it was sometimes very hard for people to see a pathway through these things.
Paperweight's CEO Bayla Perrin with chair Benjamin Conway, who co-founded Paperweight (Photo: Paperweight)
“We thought that if our friends need help, then there must be others who do too, which is why we started the charity.”
As the charity has grown, providing services nationally, including in Manchester, Gateshead and Leeds, so has its budget. “A free service is not free to run,” stressed Perrin.
Money raised during the match-funding campaign will go towards clinics for family law, money advice and immigration. It will also help provide spaces for meetings with case workers, Paperweight teams and for training, she said.
“The funding will help us pick up the phone to the next person who calls for help and catch those who are falling through the cracks.”
If you are interested in signing up to be a pageholder for Paperweight on January 26 and 27, click here or go to charityextra.com/paperweight
The same link can also be used for donations
To contact Paperweight for support, go to:
T. 0330 174 4300
E. info@paperweight.org.uk
