Gordon's Reflection on helping with the Dundee Drop In (DDI) Research: "When does poverty become destitution?"

Members of the FiCD team helped earlier this year to co-ordinate research done by Dundee Drop In in partnership with Dundee University. The research has been collated (see our previous blog post for more information) and our co-ordinator Gordon wrote this article for the St Paul's Cathedral Autumn Newsletter reflecting on his engagement with people at Drop In's during the research process.

When does poverty become destitution?:-

As part of my commitment to working with the Dundee Drop In group of church based projects, including Graham’s Kitchen, I helped co-ordinate research across the projects earlier this year with Dundee University.  This has been collated, but actually getting alongside many of those who use the drop ins was the first shock to my system.  The questionnaire took about half an hour to complete and the first two guys I interviewed had not had any electricity for ages. The cost of reconnection was prohibitive so trying to cook anything or wash themselves was impossible, let alone heat their homes.  These first two would become typical of many who had fallen on hard times.  Yes, some were drug addicts and coping with the damage that drugs had inflicted seemed impossible.  There was one guy who had not had any electricity for a whole year and was entirely dependent for his survival on the various drop ins across the city.  As well as no electricity he had no benefits apart from getting his council rent paid. His benefits had been sanctioned (stopped for some reason or another) but he didn’t know how to get them re-instated, so for a whole year had been totally dependent upon handouts for his survival. The parish nurse who interviewed him and the council worker who was then involved managed to get his benefits re-instated - (£72.00 pw).  However, he subsequently found himself sanctioned again as he has poor literacy and finds it difficult to apply for the number  of jobs required.  Then there was the former joiner who was determined  not to be sanctioned, but he was as he applied for a job by email and not through the right website.  He was surviving on about £50 pw prior to being sanctioned as there had to be a contribution to his rent as Housing Benefit only paid so much as he was in private accommodation. Those who are sanctioned can apply for a hardship payment, but it takes a couple of weeks and is a small  proportion of benefits. Sanctions start for four weeks, but can escalate to six months, which I’ve come across. 

Anyway, just some of the people I met, laughed with – yes laugh!  Their openness and welcome was second to none and it made me think of Jesus. Of how he was there to help the lepers, the outcasts, the prostitutes.  He challenged the establishment because he thought differently.  He didn’t speak about a fair world or a just world, but a generous grace that subverts the norms of society. So, such an experience changed my perception.  It wasn’t just being there, but listening and learning  and getting to know and trust other human beings who were hungry in our city.

We completed 106 questionnaires across the drop in projects and they show that no electricity, benefit sanctions, loneliness, poor mental health and lack of clothes are key problems for people and when people have  a number of these problems then along with low self-esteem they are really up against it. But, why use the drop ins? Well, it isn’t rocket science, but the main reason for using the drop ins was hunger!  I think being hungry is when poverty becomes destitution and I never thought that I would ever use that word for Dundee, but this research has changed me forever. I now recognise some people begging and some people selling the Big Issue.   Of course some people are rogues, but most guys and girls have fallen on hard times for all sorts of reasons and become isolated and excluded.  What Graham’s Kitchen does is fill a gap in the sharing of food, company and help. This is not the answer, but it is “not passing by”, “ going the extra mile” and it is leading  to other action. St. Mary’s in Lochee and Eagles Wings are looking at the provision of clothes – not just handouts, but trying to give people a choice, because they can’t afford charity shops.  Others like the Friary and Gilfillan are looking at helping with IT access and Job Search to help people avoid sanctions.   And yes, this is being doing in partnership with the council, but often churches are best placed to make that simple response that the Cathedral does through Graham’s Kitchen. It is so important and many people are grateful – believe me, I’ve heard and written down many comments expressing sincere gratitude.