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Connections
Ashbourne Methodist Circuit
Magazine April 2021
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Letter from the Minister
The Manse, 16 Booth Drive Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1SZ Tel: 01335 342408 email: [email protected]
Dear Friends,
“Love so amazing, so divine”
This Easter will be like the last – we shall be doing things differently from how we normally or used to do them. However, this Easter and beyond looks more hope-filled and transforming than the last. With the rollout of the COVID Vaccination, and the prospect of the restrictions we have endured over the past months gradually lifting, the signs of returning to more of the life we used to live are becoming a real possibility.
So we are thankful people. To quote the words of a harvest hymn:
Praise God for the harvest of science and skill, the urge to discover, create and fulfil: for dreams and inventions that promise to gain a future more hopeful, a world more humane. (StF 126)
Along with giving thanks for the vaccine, we also pray that some of the positive changes we have seen will continue and make us a more caring society. We are still, however, going to have to live with a degree of caution and the long-term consequences of COVID-19. We shall need to bear with one another’s sensitivities and vulnerabilities, respecting the different journeys each of us have been on over this past year. We were all in the same storm, but not all in the same boat!
Easter is about the empty tomb, but it’s also about the cost of the Cross. As we contemplate the pain, agony, separation and death of the Cross, so we rejoice in the risen Lord, who went through and triumphed over those very experiences.
This Easter, as we reflect on the past year, may the hope and joy of a new future be like another resurrection for the human race and for the whole of creation.
Your minister and friend,
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An Easter Reflection
You may like to hold a piece of woven cloth as you read this:
Take this linen in your hand. Gently feel the weave: each crossing thread, each imperfection, warp and weft.
Take this linen in your hand and remember the cloths wrapped around a new-born child, to give warmth - and to protect his newness in the world.
Take this linen in your hand, and remember the hard-woven nets of the fishers who would one day step boldly into the kingdom, and bring the lost with them.
Take this linen in your hand, and remember the hem of a cloak touched in desperation and faith, in fearful wonder that Heaven may change the things of earth.
Take this linen in your hand, and remember a ripped curtain, the rift between God and humanity, torn away by love, only by love.
Take this linen in your hand, and remember the silence of the shroud, gathering its load into the tomb where our creating, moving God shapes salvation from such beginnings.
Fiona Green The front cover photo is of the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem: www.gardentomb.com
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Circuit Family News
It is now a whole year since we last worshipped together in our church building. A lot of us have been struggling with this current lockdown, particularly being cooped up during the cold winter months. But with Easter soon upon us, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus offering us hope, we have much to be thankful for.
During this pandemic, most of us have now celebrated our birthdays in different ways and this month several of our church family will be celebrating significant ‘milestone’ birthdays. Our congratulations to:
• Jenny Waring, who will be 90 (on 10 April) • Chris Stubbs, who will be 80 (on 21 April) • Kath Cork, who will be 90 (on 24 April) • Elsie Redfern, who will be 90 (on 30 April)
Our good wishes go to Peter and Philippa Lowe on the birth of twin boys, grandsons for Ruth Lowe. Congratulations go to Joy Mallard, who has been awarded The Queen’s Badge from the Boys’ Brigade & Girls’ Association and has just moved into her new home in Ashbourne.
We welcome David Clark and Anne Payne, who have recently moved into the town from Kirk Langley. We also hope Sally Wall has settled into her new home in Duffield. Please phone or email them for specific addresses!
It is good to see John Dakin out and about, having made a good recovery from his accident.
We ask that you pray for members of our Circuit who remain unwell especially Cathy Scott and Chris Evans, and for John Parry and Geoff Buckley who are now at home recuperating.
We also think of Hazel Upton, after the death of her sister, Olive Elkington.
If you have any people or matters which you would like to share with someone for prayer, then please contact Rev. Tim, myself, your pastoral visitor or housegroup.
Wendy Haslam Pastoral Secretary 16.3.2021
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16
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Jason
Chris & Chris Morris have been remembering the 10th anniversary of the death of their son Jason on 20th March 2011, just six days short of his 19th birthday:
“We continue to give thanks for the way he blessed our lives, and what he achieved, and for the way the Lord and our friends have upheld us in this time.”
Take out Church
Our third distribution of ‘Take of Church’ bags was undertaken at half term (February 2021) when 26 bags were given to young people and their families.
The theme was bugs, bees and butterflies, and included quizzes, colouring sheets, puzzles, recipes, and crafts, all of which were very well received.
Two Easter themed ‘Take out Church’ bags are to be distributed to young people and their families and also to adults.
If you would like to receive a bag, then please telephone me on 01335 324404 or email at [email protected].
Thanks to the small team who make this outreach possible. Sandra Lewer
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On 3rd March we held our second Craft & Coffee live zoom crafting session. For this session we planned to decorate wooden hearts. Over 25 people signed up and received a craft pack containing a wooden heart plus various fabric, ribbons and buttons. We did a sheet of instructions so that you didn’t need access to zoom in order to take part in the crafting.
15–20 people were able to join us on the day itself. We spent two hours happily working on our designs and taking a break for a chat and a coffee halfway through. Lots of laughter together and plenty of encouragement from one another helped us to complete the craft by midday.
We did discover that using glue and a computer mouse at the same time offered a few challenges! We also discovered what talented crafters we have - from age 11 to… well perhaps we won’t commit ourselves on that See back cover for more! upper limit!
You are warmly invited to join us via
Zoom on Wed 7th April 10:00-12:00
We’ll be making some easy paper crafts
including this butterfly – whilst chatting
and enjoying our morning coffee at
home! Contact Fiona Green 343011/
for further details and to register.
If you aren’t available on that morning but would like the
instructions to follow in your own time, we can email them to
you.
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Prayers United
Wed 7th April at 7:30pm
A group of Christians from various churches are meeting to pray each month. The Ashbourne Churches Together Prayers United meetings are happening online at the moment, and we pray for our town, and especially the new housing developments on the old airfield. Would you like to join us? Meeting on the first Wednesday of each month.
Contact [email protected] to come along, for as long or little as you are able.
Advance notice: May meeting will be on Wednesday 5th May at 1pm
A day in the life of a Chaplain in GP Practice
by Ruth Barrett
I have been working as a volunteer chaplain in a GP practice in Ilkeston for nearly two years. I am one of two volunteer chaplains covering two days a week.
My drive to work takes a bit of time, which is important time for me to think about the day ahead and focus on what I bring/take, which is the sense of God present in all whom I meet from whatever faith or belief base they come.
I arrive at work at about 10.00am. The first jobs of the day are to log in to the computer and access System One, where all my appointments are stored and all of the communication within the practice takes place. I check my appointment list so that I can access the notes for the day. My role includes care for the staff, so I always check the communication notifications so that I can get a flavour of the pressures that the staff are coping with.
My first patient is at 10.30am. Each patient session lasts up to an hour, quite different in length to a GP or nurse appointment. This gives space and time to listen to and address sometimes quite complex life stories.
I remind myself from my notes what we have talked about at the last session and perhaps anything that the patient was going to try. I also spend a few moments praying for our session together, trusting in God’s
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presence. In these times of Covid we use telephone or video calls, but pre-Covid our meetings were always face to face. Like everywhere else we have learnt to adapt, and it has taught us that in the future the options for patients may be more flexible.
I see two patients before a break at 1.00pm. I complete the patient’s GP record to note they have seen a chaplain, and plan with the patients any further sessions. I complete activity spreadsheets that help us to feedback to the practice about our workload and the type of referrals we have seen. If I have any new referrals that need contacting, I make the first calls to talk about chaplaincy and offer an appointment.
My break is the time I use to go to the staff room. This is a time to build relationships with any staff that are around. I try to keep in some contact with all staff groups.
I return to my office for a rather longer afternoon of three or four patients. The reasons patients are referred to the chaplain are many and varied but often it is about grief, loss (of all sorts), trauma, depression, anxiety and low mood. What undergirds what we do is whole person care. This is the notion that humans are complex, embodying elements of the physical, our emotions, our thought life and our spirituality.
These elements are interconnected, they cannot be seen in isolation. The chaplain listens and connects to the spiritual things, paying attention to things like meaning, identity, values, belonging and purpose. Sometimes this highlights practical social needs. We work with social prescribers to help find support in these areas. Sometimes it is specific religious care. Our aim is to discern the moments of hope in patient stories and work with them to find a way forward.
It’s a long afternoon and some situations will have affected me more than others. I use a finishing ritual to help me let go of these situations. It’s about putting things away, locking the drawers, closing the computer, watering the plants (my sign of hope) and committing all those to whom I have listened to God’s care. I have done all I can. I lock my room door and leave between 5.30 and 6.00pm. I switch on the world when I get into my car and, if I am lucky, listen to the soothing tones of Evan Davis on the PM Programme on Radio 4!
If anyone is interested in knowing more about volunteer Chaplaincy please do contact me: [email protected]
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Costing the Earth
This phrase has a new and urgent meaning for us all, and I am following in the steps of Stuart Green's Thought for the Week (in the notice sheet) by sending out a challenge!
Does your faith say: “do what you like and don't worry about the world”?
“The climate crisis is a huge and pressing issue. But revival always starts small and starts within. It begins with persistent prayer. If we want to see movement on this issue, we have to pray, and then roll up our sleeves and take part in restoring God’s beautiful earth.” (Tearfund Daily Thought for Lent)
We are creatures of habit, but we have the power to change those habits, and this is surely a time when we are being called to do so. How, for example, can we compare the cost to God's Earth of our way of life, to the cost of our time and maybe our pockets?
Two examples:
• It takes more time to get a refill of washing-up liquid from David Neill's or Natural Choice than buying another bottle, but it easily becomes a habit and is reducing the cost to the Earth.
• Buy locally sourced meat and vegetables whenever possible to reduce transport carbon emissions.
“What happens next is up to every one of us.” (David Attenborough)
I do believe we can make a difference, by our individual actions and by talking about it to others and encouraging and helping each other.
“Creator God, I’m sorry for how I’ve treated your earth and ignored your plea to take care of creation. Show me how I can make amends and help restore your Earth. Amen.” (Tearfund)
If anyone would like more information or help, or to exchange ideas, please feel free to give me a ring for a chat.
Pat Fielding 345695
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The Link Development – Update
March 2021
Planning Application approved !
At the Derbyshire Dales District Council planning meeting on 9th March our planning application received approval. We are so pleased to be able to report this to you after such a long time. Thank you for your continuous support and prayers.
In our last report, in the October edition of Connections, we had expected that our application would be presented at the January planning committee meeting and that we would have been able to report this news earlier. However further technical requirements, requiring a drainage report, an updated ecology report (relating to the bats in our church roof space) and concerns relating to the large copper beech tree at the corner of our site, meant that we had to do further work to get the necessary “recommendation for approval” from the council planning officers – and this delayed consideration of our application to the March meeting
The 9th March DDDC Planning Meeting
Before the detailed presentation of our plans by the council officers, Tony had the chance to present our vision on behalf of us all (as in our MAP “Plan for Growth” and in line with previous LDT explanations agreed at Church Council). Some key points were:
• “These proposals will create a modern set of fully accessible and safe facilities which will provide an inclusive, comfortable and sustainable environment in a heritage set of buildings. Our vision is that these will become a 7 day a week church and community hub”
• “Following extensive consultation, we have integrated all the advice that we've been given. We are not developers; we are local people trying to do the right thing. We've not taken the easy option, found a site somewhere elsewhere and moved out of town. We would like to stay on our current site, preserve the church and avoid the premises becoming unoccupied.”
• “As the Ashbourne Methodist Church, which has contributed to Ashbourne and the surrounding area for over 200 years, we do hope you will be able to approve our application and enable us to continue to contribute for many years into the future. We do believe it will be good for the community, good for our church and good for the town and surrounding area”
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There was discussion among the councillors about Historic England’s concern that the Link development would damage the “heritage asset”, but the officers supported our plans saying that the damage was “less than substantial and was outweighed by the community benefit” – the benefit both of the new facilities for the community and of avoiding the buildings becoming unoccupied (in a high street which already has unoccupied buildings)
There were some very nice and supportive comments from many councillors:
• “I think it will be a lovely space to be inside… The people who are developing it are the people who’ve used this building for generations: they understand its history, they understand what it’s all about, they want to preserve it for the town and I completely support them with that. I think it’s actually just the sort of thing that Ashbourne needs.”… “I just think it’s a real testament to the work of the developers, the church group and the officers, in providing Ashbourne with a community asset which will last for generations to come and be used by thousands and thousands of people.” (Councillor Robert Archer)
• “I think they’ve done a fantastic job in the development stages and it’s much in keeping with the area.” (Councillor Tom Donnelly)
• “I think it’s very good for the area.” (Councillor Stuart Lees) • “It’s essential that we champion this and get this out there, because
it’s not just going to benefit churchgoers, it’s going to benefit all the population of Ashbourne and the surrounding district, and I can see this being a huge hub, a huge attraction to bring people into the town.” (Councillor Richard FitzHerbert)
• “It would be terrible if the buildings ran into disuse and were unoccupied. It’s all about community as well as the historical aspect of it, and the community will thrive in this.” (Councillor Peter Slack)
• “Think it is absolutely lovely and they have done a fantastic job. An improvement over what’s there and the Link building will be lovely. An absolute cracker of a design!” (Councillor Neil Buttle)
Finally, Robert Archer, councillor for our ward, moved the motion to approve our application, which was carried unanimously.
You can see the recording of the planning meeting on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFZGzgF2nZE Hearing of our application starts at around 47 minutes, with our
presentation and the debate and councillors’ comments start at around
1 hour 25 minutes.
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What’s next?
We have already had quite a few lovely messages from church members,
thanking the Link Team for the work so far, and saying how now is a time
to give thanks to God for getting us to this point. Indeed, we deserve to
give ourselves a moment to celebrate and give thanks. From the Link
Team, thank you for your encouragement and for sticking with it – it
means a lot and it is impossible for this project to be successful without
your support and prayers.
There is still much to do of course. As might be said – “this is not the
end, this is just the end of the beginning”!
We need to take stock and confirm that we still want to go ahead.
A special Church Council has been scheduled for Wednesday 21st April
to review and decide this.
To prepare for this, the Link Team is thinking through and getting
information on:
• what might have changed since 2016/17 when we did extensive
consultation and decided the current direction
• getting updated costs for the Church development
• preparing information on land values and options for the housing
development
• reviewing our fundraising options and expectations
• reviewing if we should progress in phases (considering the previous
points)
The Link Team will look to come to the Church Council on 21st April with
consensus proposals on the options and process to decide these and
any other points.
As always, thank you for your continued support and prayers.
The Link Development Team:
John Barker, Peter Flinn, Catherine Green, Paul Haslam, Ian Marsh,
Tim Morris, Tony Walker, Jonathan Webb
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REFLECTIONS
At the time of writing we are nearly a third of the way through the year. Signs of spring are starting to show. Yet, looking out of the window as I write this, it is raining and the forecast is for rain and storm force winds tomorrow, with a possibility of snow at the weekend. It doesn't really look like spring!
But the snowdrops are out in abundance, primroses coming out and the daffodils showing yellow at the tips.
On the farm, so far we have had seven calves, all bulls, of which the latest two were twins (not identical), and all are doing well.
The birds seem to have a little more speed as they fly around, possibly gathering nest material, some of which they thieve from swallows and house martin nests. Here though, we pause with a bit of sadness, as in the mêlée, we find the odd dead swallow and house martin chick on the ground that didn't grow fully in time for the migration south. In the fields, the cock pheasants are in beautiful plumage and strutting their stuff. In these times, no matter what the weather or the forecast, Spring is on the horizon.
Also joy, in that some of the lockdown is being relaxed, children are returning to school and more can gather to meet, even if it is outside! There is a sense that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a little brighter, and with that in my thoughts, I am reminded of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore's words, "Tomorrow will be a good day"!
Yes, Spring is on its way, the light is getting brighter, life is shown in so many ways, in the fields, on the farm, and in our neighbourhood. Yes, tomorrow is a good day, and God still walks with us each moment, each hour, each day, in the rain and in the sun. God in Jesus still fulfils his promise made in the Gospel of Matthew: "Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew Ch 28.v 20b NIV).
Tom Parkinson
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News of Cecil
Cecil Broadbent, a former member of Ashbourne Methodist Church, has now been living for two years at Morel Court (the MHA care home in Penarth, South Wales). He is due to celebrate his 100th birthday on 10th June, the same day as the Duke of Edinburgh. Unfortunately, he is not able to read Connections magazine, because of his poor vision, but his son Richard reads it to him over the phone.
He was interested to hear the book review in the March edition about Rev Dr Donald English. He remembers Donald, who used to live in Cheam (in Surrey) with his wife. She was a local preacher and sometimes took services at Cheam Methodist. Cecil recalls once (when he was a steward) that, when she was due but was ill, Donald came instead and asked if “he would do” - or something similar!
When Cecil heard about the death of Sylvia Ward, he said he remembers once accompanying his late wife Heather to Stanton Chapel when she was preaching there. Wilf Ward came to the service with a lot of old squash bottles full of milk to give away, as he was over his quota!
He also remembered that Tom and Ann Parkinson now live at the farm with their son, and the occasion on which Ann’s father fell off a cart while baling and hit his head, also that Tom used to work at East Midlands Airport as an engineer. Cecil said that Tom and his wife were lovely people, and he was very fond of them.
Morel Court residents and staff are doing a virtual bike ride from Penarth to Scotland to raise money for their Residents Amenity Fund. They have the task of cycling over 400 miles to reach Edinburgh. This photo of Cecil is being used for publicity on Facebook.
He has now had his second vaccination, with another photo!
Richard says that Cecil is doing OK, although he gets a bit more tired. He likes to walk round the garden also - when he can.
www.facebook.com/MHAmorelCourt
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Mission Matters
‘All We Can’ is a church charity that we support at Harvest, through our church Christmas card and at other times of the year. But what does ‘All We Can’ (AWC) do?
AWC is an international development and relief organisation, working to see every person’s potential fulfilled. Whether children fleeing tyranny, communities facing extreme poverty, or families hit by disaster, AWC answer through partnering with local innovators, projects and churches to unleash inherent potential. It has served some of the most marginalised communities on earth for the last eight decades – since a group of Methodists answered the call of refugees in Europe in the 1930s.
Focussed on serving the world’s most marginalised communities, AWC is rooted in the Christian faith. Prayer is vital to the work of ‘All We Can’ and its partner organisations around the world. AWC believe prayer makes a significant difference because God is concerned for those in need.
They have developed a reputation for doing development differently – pioneering sustainable, locally-owned solutions in response to John Wesley’s call to:
‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’
AWC responds in times of crisis, to humanitarian emergencies caused by natural disasters, conflict and political instability all over the world. They also work in partnership with other international humanitarian aid NGOs that have long term partnerships with local organisations capable of responding. AWC also supports the local organisations they work with to find sustainable long-term ways of preparing for and responding to disasters. They provide the training and capacity development needed to build communities that are more resilient to disasters and to help protect the hard fought development gains they have achieved.
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Last year, 77p in every pound spent was used for AWC’s charitable work supporting people in the world’s poorest communities. AWC aims to keep its administration costs low and look for ways of making their work more cost-effective.
So thank you for supporting AWC at various times during the year. Look out for the next appeal.
To find out more about ‘All We Can’, visit www.allwecan.org.uk
Rev Tim Morris Here is a prayer from the website:
Loving God of all the world, we hold before you the nations. To the God who reigns over governments: bring justice where injustice rules. To the God who carries a weary world without growing weak: give strength to the struggling and hope to the hopeless. To the creative God who dreamt up our world: grant vision and insight to those with a heart to change things for the better. To the compassionate God: heal what is hurting and restore what has been broken. With grateful hearts we thank our loving God, whose compassion never ceases, whose love for us never runs dry, whose fight against injustice never relents. Amen.
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Circuit Website update
In the next couple of weeks, we’re doing an update to our website. The previous design has served us well for almost 10 years, but it didn’t work very well on mobile devices and was beginning to look a little dated.
Here’s a sneak peek at the top of the home page…
Probably the main change is that the links to the weekly notice sheet, worship sheet, online services, Connections magazine, etc will move to a new location. You need to click on the purple “NEWS” button on the website or go direct to www.ashbournemethodist.org.uk/news
The Circuit website is a really important way of telling people about our ministry in the area, so we hope you like the new style.
John Hurfurt & Stuart Green
Keep in touch by visiting the website for up-to-date news:
www.ashbournemethodist.org.uk
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Ashbourne Church Vacancies Bulletin As the country works its way along the roadmap out of lockdown, we find ourselves newly challenged to serve our local community. The last year has taken its toll on many people’s mental, physical and spiritual health, and we are in a special position to be able to support people in different ways.
We have a few roles that we are currently looking to fill. If you’re interested in finding out more about any role, please have a chat with the named contact, with no obligation or pressure. There are lots of ways you can get involved in our mission and ministry. If you’re new to the church, we realise that you might not always know who to speak to about getting involved, so please feel free to have a chat with Rev Tim or Robert Sales.
Worship Stewards
We have a good group of worship stewards, but as we prepare for re-opening the building if possible, we would wish to have a couple more people join the team. Working on a rota basis, you would help to make sure everything runs smoothly at our worship services.
For more info, speak to Robert Sales (342321).
The Gateway Centre Team
Would you be interested in getting involved in the Gateway Centre, our 27-bed residential centre which (in non-Covid times!) welcomes groups to stay from all around the country. It would be great to strengthen the team with one or two more people who could help with admin and the marketing of the centre.
If you’d like to know more, have a chat with Jeff Ffoulkes (300443)
Leadership Steward for Learning & Caring
After many years of dedicating himself to the role, Brian Hawkins has decided to step down from the Leadership Team. We will miss him greatly, especially his wisdom, care for others and his passion for helping everyone to grow in their faith.
We are therefore looking for a new Leadership Steward for Learning & Caring. The role involves encouraging people in their faith and in caring for one another, including maintaining links with house groups and the pastoral visiting team. You would also guide the church’s overall mission, as part of Ashbourne’s Leadership Team. Do you have a heart for the people of our church? This could be the role for you!
If you are interested in finding more, please have a chat with Robert Sales (342321) or Tim Morris (342408).
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Universal Credit – The story so far
by Geof Cole
The Wednesday House Group asked for this article as some members felt they didn’t know much about Universal Credit and others might also appreciate the information.
Universal Credit (UC) is in the news, often with critical reviews, and the increased use of food banks is often attributed to UC. However, UC is not universally bad. Some people are better off under UC than the previous benefits, but problems do remain. I would like to take this opportunity to give a brief overview of how it works, its impact on claimants, and where there are still problems.
UC replaced a complex system of income-related benefits and tax credits, which were difficult to claim and confusing to know what the correct entitlement was.
It was intended to simplify the benefits system by creating a single source of support that would adapt as people’s circumstances changed, making one claim and ensuring that they would receive what they were entitled to. Originally planned to be more generous than the benefits it replaced, from the outset UC suffered from cuts to the original planned payments along with the introduction of a benefits cap. Some of these cuts were reversed in the 2018 budget.
Some groups benefit from the introduction of UC: working families generally receive more money from UC than they would from the previous benefits. On the other hand, out-of-work, self-employed or disabled claimants receive less money from UC than earlier benefits. The Joseph Rowntree foundation estimate that UC led to a fall of 300,000 people in poverty but increased the number of out-of-work people in poverty by 200,000.
UC introduced a new on-line process for claiming benefits with applications via the UC website. Citizens Advice has a dedicated “help to claim” service to help those applying for the first time. UC is paid monthly in arrears, with the payment based on that month’s income. There is then a seven-day period before the payment is made into a bank account. This means that a claimant has to wait 5 weeks from the initial claim to receiving the first payment.
Claimants are required to enter into a Claimant Commitment at their local JobCentre. This includes agreeing what should be done to prepare for work, to look for work or to increase earnings if already employed.
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Failure to meet these commitments can lead to a reduction in UC payments – known as a sanction. Deductions can be made to recover advance payments, or to pay debts to DWP, local authorities, utility companies, or rent. Support for childcare was also changed, with payments made monthly in arrears.
UC works well for people that are in formal employment and are paid monthly. Unfortunately, this is not the case for 72% of people claiming UC for the first time. For many low paid households, the hours worked and the income varies, meaning that the amount of UC they receive fluctuates, making budgeting very difficult. As the payment is based on the previous month’s pay, not their current income, claimants can find they have low earnings and a low UC payment in the same month, causing financial difficulties. For households paid four-weekly, their UC award is likely to reduce to zero for one month of the year. They then have to reapply for UC the following month. These problems can deter some households from applying at all.
Self-employed households are also affected by the application of an assumed income of the national minimum wage for a standard working week from one year after starting a new business – known as the Minimum Income Floor. Only 50% of the self-employed can meet this requirement, and they are generally worse off by about £50 per week compared to the previous benefits.
The five weeks wait for the first payment also generates problems. Around 14% of households moving onto UC have insufficient savings to support themselves through this period. They can claim an advance payment but, of course, this has to be paid back and reduces subsequent payments. Sanctioning and debt recovery can also reduce UC payments; many households when faced with reduced incomes will prioritise food and utilities over rent and council tax – leading to court action, bailiffs, and possible eviction. As part of its response to the pandemic, the Government put a hold on domestic evictions unless there were six month’s rent arrears or anti-social behaviour. However, evictions are expected to resume as normal from 14 April 2021.
The Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) deserves praise for the speed with which it handled the substantial rise in UC claims resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The number claiming increased from 3 million in March to 5.2 million in May 2020. The Minimum Income Floor was suspended; extra staff were deployed in Job Centres and a flexible approach was taken to conditionality, allowing claims to be processed quickly. In addition, the Government gave a £20 weekly increase to the
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UC standard payment. This was due to end this month, but the recent budget extended it until September 2021. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimate that maintaining the £20 uplift will shield 683,000 households including 824,000 children from financial hardship.
After the pandemic, the structural issues with UC will still remain. In October 2020, the House of Commons Work and Pension Committee published a report on UC first-time claimants. They recommended:
• A non-refundable starter payment for all first-time claimants. • The £20 increase in support should be maintained.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation supports these changes and made additional recommendations for improvement to UC, based on the fact that benefit payments are set at subsistence levels before any deductions:
• Fortnightly payments of UC. • Ensuring that no claimant should have their UC payments reduced by
more than 30% - which currently affects 20% of UC claimants. • Loan repayments should be set at 10% rather than the planned 25%,
and the repayment period should be increased from 12 to 24 months.
• Extend the suspension of the Minimum Income Floor for the self-employed beyond July 2021.
• Provide childcare payments in advance.
What can we do? Our first action should be to continue to support local food banks, which offer an important safety net for households with very low incomes. In the longer term, we can lobby our politicians to improve UC as recommended above.
If you know anyone who needs help with benefits or debt, suggest to them that they contact one of the free advice agencies such as Citizens Advice as soon as possible. Our local Citizens Advice can be contacted via a freephone number 0808 278 7954. The UC Help to Claim service can be contacted on 0800 144 8 144.
Geof Cole Volunteer Adviser Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts
References: Policy in Practice Reports: • The Economics of Universal Credit February 2020 • Submission to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty January
2021.
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Circuit Church Services for April
Due to the Covid-19 virus, normal services in our chapels are suspended at present, but we continue to meet and worship in other ways.
There is an online Worship at Home service at 10:30 each Sunday, and at other times during the Easter season, on www.facebook.com/ashbournemethodist and also on YouTube. These services remain on the websites for some weeks and can also be viewed later.
On the second Sunday each month, we can share in Songs of Praise: - a sheet with web links is available on the Circuit website.
On the last Sunday each month, there is a service on Zoom. Details are in
the weekly notice sheet and on the Circuit website.
Thursday 1st April - Maundy Thursday
Short reflective
service Worship at Home from 16:00 Rev Tim Morris
Friday 2nd April - Good Friday
Short reflective
service Worship at Home from 11.00 Rev Tim Morris
Saturday 3rd April – ‘Milldale service’
“Between the Cross
and the empty tomb” Worship at Home from 14.00 Rev Tim Morris
Sunday 4th April - Easter Sunday
Worship at Home 10:30 Rev Tim Morris Love Feast
18:30 Songs of Praise
Sunday 11th April
Worship at Home 10.30 Ruth Barratt
Sunday 18th April
Worship at Home 10.30 Lorraine Hawkins
Sunday 25th April
Worship at Home 10.30 John Dyster
18.30 Rev David Leese Zoom service
Sunday 2nd May
Worship at Home 10.30 Rev Tim Morris
See weekly notice sheet for any updates.
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Dates for your diary and your prayers
Church meetings taking place on social media:
April
Tue 13th 19:30 Circuit Meeting
Wed 21st 19.30 Ashbourne Church Council
Sat 24th 10.00 District Synod
May
Wed 19th 19.30 Ashbourne Church Council
Other events:
April
Tue 6th 15.00 Bible Doodling beyond Lent
Wed 7th 10-12 Craft & Coffee (see page 6)
Wed 7th 19.30 Prayers United (see page 7)
From the editors
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue.
Please send us an article and/or a photo for the next issue – even if you have never sent anything to us before.
If you have an idea but are not sure whether it is suitable, we will be happy to discuss it with you. We are unable to include items which are copyright unless permission is obtained from the copyright-holder.
The next edition: May 2021
Last date for contributions: Wednesday 14th April
Publication date: Sunday 25th April
If possible, please e-mail your items to us at [email protected] If this is not convenient, please contact us on 01335 344086
Daphne and John Dyster
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Craft & Coffee Hearts (see page 6)
I did this wooden heart through Craft & Coffee and really enjoyed doing it. The story behind it is:
The words ‘God is Love’ is on the west wall of Alkmonton Church where I worshipped for over 40 years .
The roses are for England and St. George's Day, my birthday.
Red is my favourite colour, and the little red hearts are for my overflowing love for God's people and animals.
Elizabeth Spencer
