For the last 18 months, Capital Mass been raising awareness and offering training about “Universal Credit” - the major upheaval to the welfare benefit system that has or will impact over 600,000 of us in the Diocese.

We’ve been seeking to equip and enable churches to respond to those in their communities and congregations who may worry about, or struggle with the change.

How has it helped churches respond? In a huge number of ways, from just clergy being better equipped to know the “language” of the new system to be able to talk about it, to churches offering signposting, having information available; some have helped those who feel fearful about the process through it, others helping people with online access to apply, or helping them gather the right paperwork together.

When some of the team from St Barnabas Homerton, part of the Hackney Marsh Team Ministry came to a Universal Credit session, they went away and took the question to their PCC: “what is God calling us to do to respond?” Their answer to that question ended up meaning they took a very brave step: running a budgeting course for the whole congregation- on Sunday mornings!

This video shares the story of how they got on.

“I’d say to other churches: be bold, be brave, dare to do it…and be prepared to be surprised!”

For more information about the CAP Money Course - click here

https://capuk.org/get-involved/your-church/cap-money-course

To find out more about how Hackney Marsh Team Ministry did this, and what’s happened since, please do get in touch with them

https://www.hackneymarshteam.org.uk/stbarnabas.htm

If you are inspired to do similar, or want to know more about the support we offer around Universal Credit, get in touch!

https://www.capitalmass.org.uk/contact