This document provides an overview and update on the Real Life Reform (RLR) research project. RLR has been conducting longitudinal research over 18 months, interviewing up to 100 social housing tenants to understand the impacts of welfare reforms. The research has found that tenants are experiencing increased food insecurity, debt, health issues, and worry over the future. The findings have been published in 6 reports and have raised awareness among politicians, organizations, and the public. RLR is considering continuing the research beyond the initial 18 month timeframe to further document experiences under welfare reforms and universal credit. Input is sought on how to ensure RLR continues giving tenants a voice.

1. REAL LIFE
REFORM
TPAS Regional Conference
North
28th January 2015

2. REAL LIFE REFORM
WE ARE :
 Sarah Knight
 Housing Services
Manager – LYHA
 Jackie Gillen
 Neighbourhood
Services Officer
AND
 Trained RLR
researcher
 LYHA are:
 Co-founders of RLR
 Joint writers
 TODAY sharing…
• About RLR
• Update on research
& campaign
• Your views on what
next..

3.  [Initially] 18 month research to
understand the impact of welfare
reforms on social housing tenants in
the North
 Intensive study working with up to
100 household tracking their journey
& experiences.
 “Ethnography” understanding
and sharing real experiences
 Campaign to raise awareness
 “Customer insight” – information &
experience to help shape how
landlords adapt & respond
WHAT IS
REAL LIFE
REFORM?

4. Leeds Alliance members
PARTICIPATING:
- Unity Housing
- Connect housing

5. Aims of the Research
 Raise awareness of real experiences
 To see:
 If welfare reforms are delivering
what they set out to achieve.
 Impact on people and
communities
 And understand the unintended
[or not] consequences
 Busting myths & changing
perceptions!
 Alternative to “Benefit Street”
 Real story of social housing tenants
 Show a journey over time
 Capturing experiences& telling /
sharing a story
 Lobbying & influencing
NOT TRYING TO ACHIEVE
 Not to prove a point
 Not about PR
 Not about sob stories!
 Not about the landlord
 Not political

6. ENSURING TENANTS & COMMUNITIES HAVE A VOICE
 In September 2013
 Lisa & Andy
attended the
Northern
Conference at
round one
 Attending again to
share latest update
It reflects my experience
and some of my
neighbours. It’s real
RLR has given me a voice
and confidence to speak
out. I don’t feel as lonely
or isolated now
I thought my situation
was bad, then I read
others. Its helped me
cope

7. OUR JOURNEY
June 2013
 our 1st meeting
 Scope
 Ethics statement
 Surveys
 Diaries
 Identifying case studies
 Training, support &
confidence building
 Created a network
 Started the journey
REPORTS PUBLISHED
1. September 2013
2. December 2013
3. March 2014
4. July 2014
5. October 2014
 Completed 466
interviews

8.  70-100 case study households
 Unemployed
 Employed
 Unable to work
 Quarterly research & interviews
 Designed questionnaire & methodology
 Ethical Statement
 Experience & trends
 Front line staff trained as research facilitators
 NOT a housing survey!
 Quarterly Reports & Campaigns
 Stay true to the results
 Case studies
 Trends & real experiences shared

9. THE FINDINGS….
What does the study tell us so
far…

10.  Food & Shopping
 £3.28 per person per day is
average on food
 Two thirds of households spend
less than £40 per week on food
compared
 24.7% buy their shopping in the
“cheapest” places. A 400%
increase since the start of the
study.
 24% reduction in use of
supermarkets since round four.
Less than 1 in 2 households now
shop in a supermarket
 ONE in FIVE use a foodbank
 Fuel
 People cannot afford fuel
 50.6% now spend less than £20
per week on the fuel
 25.38 per week is the average
spend on fuel: the lowest
recorded in the study
 Debts
 74.3% of households are in debt
 Average debt is £3,931
 Debt levels have increased by
£1,568 = 69% since the start
 Average debts have increased by
£683 this an average of £52 new
borrowing each week
 48.1% do not know when or will
never be able to repay their debt
 71% of households are now worried
about getting into more debt
 Money Left After bills
 4 in 10 households have nothing
left each week, the highest
recorded in the study
 Money left per day:
 £6.10 for full time employed
 £4 per day for part time employed
 £3.26 per day for unemployed
Showing that work really isn’t paying for the
majority AND that in work poverty is increasing

11. The lack of food
and the right food
is impacting on my
health
I in 5 use a
food bank
I choose every
day whether
to eat of heat
[or pay my
debts]
I should eat better
but cannot afford it,
local shops have no
fresh veg and cant
afford to go to Tesco

12. I wont be able to
manage both
heating & food in
the winter
Staying upstairs in
the day as its easier
to stay warm & limits
the heatingI cant afford to run
a bath

13. I have to pay the
loan shark each
week because I
use him to survive
I pay off what I get in
priority debts 1st to
make sure we have a
roof over our heads
I borrow from Peter to
pay Paul … it’s the
only way I can cope
I will never pay my
debt off, I will be
dead before I can

14.  Families are reporting increases
in levels of stress and depression.
 88% of households are worried
welfare changes will impact their
health and wellbeing
 Parents report they are going
without to protect their children’s
health
 Parents report worries that
bullying may increase

15. Make my fortnightly
prescriptions last a
month as I cant
afford to get them as
often as I should
I get energy
drinks from my GP
as I cant afford to
eat properlyHave increased
my medication
by 100%
Sometimes I feel
like I wanted to kill
myself, its that
bad
Suffer from stress
and when things go
badly wrong I get
upset & suicidal

16.  77% of families
report believe
the changes will
impact on their
neighbourhood
People will be
desperate and
robberies will
go up
More people are going to have
to move because they cant
afford to live here, those that
remain will not have spare
money to make the gardens
and outside spaces nice
My
neighbour
hood is a
tsunami of
fear
We have a small village
with community spirit – will
split up families & friends
who will have to move

17.  Many respondents are
critical of Job Centre’s
efforts to help them find
work.
 Sanctions
 Low success rates
 Cost of interviews &
attendance at JCP

18.  Five reports detailing the results of interviews completed &
published since June 2013,
 Data and case studies have been used by many boards,
committees and forums to raise awareness and inform their
decision-making
 Significant impact in raising awareness in the media and on Twitter.
#5thRLR reached 2.5 million Twitter users.
 Since the start of the campaign, media coverage has included
Inside Housing, 24 Housing, The Guardian, national ITV news, local
and regional print, broadcast and online outlets – has reached
more than 11 million people
 Direct influence and reference in Parliamentary debates; every
report distributed to MPs, as well as councillors
 A meeting with the APPG [All Party Parliamentary Group] for the
North to focus on welfare reform and RLR used as evidence by the
APPG and Commission on Poverty
 13 Hansard references to RLR in Parliamentary debates
 Tenant case studies shared with the media have portrayed very
different, more balanced stories when compared with TV
programmes such as Benefits Street

19.  Health authorities and CCGs have referenced the reports and
contacted us for more information
 Third sector organisations have used the report and cited it as
“excellent”, including Poverty Truth Challenge
 Religious leaders, including the Archbishop of York, Dr John
Sentamu, have used our evidence to support their campaigns
 Job Centre Plus has used employment findings and talked to us
locally about improving the experience
 Leading research organisations, including the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation and the Young Foundation, have referenced the
campaign, endorsed our findings and are keen to collaborate
further
 TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service) has endorsed the
campaign and are running sessions again in 2015
 TPAS delegates said it reflected their experiences and gave them a
voice.
 More than 80% of RLR participants have stayed with the campaign.
Many in round five told us it was making a difference.
 YOU HAVE STAYED THE DISTANCE!

21. WHERE ARE WE AT
NOW?
REPORT SIX
 69 interviews
completed in
November &
December 2014
 Analysis being
completed
 Report due to be
published March
2015
18 MONTH LONGITUDINAL
STUDY
 Initially said 18 months
study
 Reflections & summary
report due April / May
 It will capture the:
 Journey
 Findings
 Lessons learnt
 Reach and impact – the
difference its made
 Plans for the future

22. Plan A – 18 month
longitudinal study
18 MONTH LONGITUDINAL STUDY
 Initially said 18 months study
 Reflections & summary report due May
 It will capture the:
 Journey
 Findings
 Lessons learnt
 Reach and impact – the difference its made
 Plans for the future

23. WHERE NEXT….
 There is support & request to
continue beyond 6 reports…[&
join]
 RLR Steering Group believe as a
study and campaign we should
continue.
 Build on our strengths
 Continue to provide
invaluable insight
 Reflect roll our of UC
 Lead the way in
“ethnography”
 Collaborate with others
 Provide data and insight in
lead up to and after
elections
 Stay true to principles of
RLR
1. What do you want RLR to
focus on?
2. How do we ensure we build
on “being the voice of
social housing tenants?”
3. How do we get more
people and communities to
speak out?