‘I’d rather not leave the house so I don’t get into more debt’

Anna Price, the community lead at St Mary Magdalene, says its work to build community resilience and break down isolation is hugely important.

“Many people get into a crisis partly because they’re on their own and they’ve got no-one around them to help them make sense of things and help them move forward in life,” she says.

“The cycles that I see of families, the kind of generational dependence on benefits, has meant that for some, they no longer have the skills or the upbringing to know how to hold down a job.”

St Mary Magdalene sits within an estate with high levels of unemployment and “economically inactive” people who are neither in work nor looking for it.

Mental health issues, neurodivergent conditions, physical ill health and disabilities are also prevalent.

“You realise when you hear their stories and what their lives are like, that the idea of employment is very, very, very challenging,” says Price.

“It is really heartbreaking, because it’s a cycle that you feel like we’re trapped in and can’t easily see a way out of that.”

But there is hope. Introducing a person in crisis to Tennant is “like picking somebody off the floor,” she says.

“I’ve always found it very emotional; that they see there is a possibility to get out of debt and get on the right benefits.

“It’s incredible.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said its Connect to Work programme was expected to support 4,000 people in Norfolk by 2029.

“We’re committed to moving from a welfare state to a working state, giving people in Norfolk and beyond the support they need to move out of poverty and into work,” they added.

“We will always work with anyone with an outstanding debt to find an affordable way to repay, which could include pointing individuals towards free debt advice and support services.”

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