'Cries for Help' to Charity Hit 3,000 a Month

The surge in calls to the SVP in Dublin has been mirrored elsewhere with increases of up to 50pc in Cork and Galway.

However, the SVP warned that the figures available are just the tip of the iceberg as they do not include cries for help through churches or community welfare groups or those in more rural areas.

People struggling with finances in the recession are also calling the charity more frequently, although not as much as it expected when the recession hit in 2008. But one in four callers are "new callers" who have never had to contact the charity before.

"We are not getting as many callers as a result of the recession as we had anticipated but the figures are still increasing," John Monaghan, the SVP's vice president told a Dail committee on social protection.

Forbearance

"This may be down to some forbearance on the part of the banks but the stigma of having to call a charity is still a big issue for many.

"But many people who call now were once those who donated to us."

Mr Monaghan said that those "newly in need" of help are having problems with mortgage repayments and job losses.

Despite the recession, most of the people who need help are those in receipt of long-term social welfare payments while half those who call are lone parents.

Mr Monaghan said most callers have concerns about food and fuel.

He said some people now looking for help are foreign-nationals who have lost their jobs as a result of the recession.

Between 15pc and 20pc of calls per month are from this category, who are also more likely than Irish people to suffer from delays in accessing social welfare payments, he added.

He described the clause in the Social Welfare Bill 2010 where lone parents whose youngest child reaches 13 will no longer be able to claim one-parent family payments if they refuse an offer of suitable employment, as "nonsense" as there are no jobs and no training.

Source: Irish Independent