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When a prisoner leaves jail they are faced with the prospect of having to claim Universal Credit - but there have been warnings that the system is setting people up to fail.

For many, they will have to sign up to Universal Credit but because they can't make a claim until they are released, it means they are faced with delays in receiving money.

Charity Crisis says when prisoners are released they can struggle to find accommodation with a private landlord or to get the housing element of Universal Credit, with the first payment sometimes taking up to nine weeks to arrive.

Campaigners have warned that ex-prisoners are being forced back into a life of crime so they can get by.

We went to Newcastle Jobcentre to find out what happens when an ex-prisoner has to claim Universal Credit.

Work coach

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

Kath Hindmarsh, work coach and ex-offender and prison leaver ambassador, works with ex-offenders and prison leavers.

She visits prisons and works with support groups that also provide services.

Kath said: "If a customer is coming up to a point where they know they are going to be released, we have work coaches in the prisons now.

"They can work with them, if they have a release date and want to engage with the work coach, the work coaches in the local prison will contact me and get an appointment set up for them getting out - called an advanced prison leaver appointment and that is booked in, so I get them their first payment so it is sorted and get their claim built up.

"I had three in yesterday and built their claim set up. It is about getting them into the Jobcentre and get their claim started.

"It is a lot to do with getting them into the Jobcentre in the first place.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

"I think with Universal Credit, there are so many more options that we can do to support customers.

"Before with other benefits, it was solely your job commitment and we can turn commitments off, we can support customers with their health conditions and disabilities and can turn them on and off.

"As long as we know, that is the key thing I think, as long as we know so we can support them better.

"If the customer gets recalled back into the prison instead of the claims running, I get that information as well and get the information on the claims if they have housing benefit that gets paid for six months so they are not made homeless, so their rent is still covered so they have a home to come to when they are released. There is so much we can do for them in the background.

"For me, very few of my customers will have a commitment to look for work when they first come in.

"It is about, when they are released from prison, I work to support them prior to be released with the work coaches in prison to get them their appointments and then they will come in to see me.

"At that appointment I'll be asking questions like, do you have a GP? I will give them details of their local GPs to get registered, sometimes people come from different areas, they'll be moved into these areas in bail hostels and they're from London, all over the country.

"It's about getting them medical attention, supporting them with accommodation cause they are classed as homeless for the first 12 weeks. Generally, if they are in a hostel they have lost links with family members and things."

Kath said it can often be an achievement to get people to walk into a Jobcentre.

"If I can get them to walk into the Jobcentre and just get them to engage with me, just by treating them fairly, honestly and listening to what they need and supporting them with, maybe, drink and alcohol problems, I have got support and put them into different things. To get them as much medical help as we can," she added.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

"I also work with potential different employers, who are really, really willing to take people on now as ex-offenders if they've proved that they are willing to work.

"A lot of them are, for me, I don't think anybody that has any kind of disability or complex need should be written off.

"I work closely with the criminal justice forum, I attend all the meetings and have went there and given speeches about how if we don't have responsibility for customers when they come through the door and support them now, especially with Universal Credit incorporating a housing benefit part element, we need to get them support because they have to claim.

"If they don't, my point is they might go out and re-offend which in turn will cause the police more work and money, the court system, the CPS, then they will go back to prison where it is £47,000 a year or whatever it is to keep them there."

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Re-offending

Kath's comments come as Pret Manger announced it was one of 530 businesses to sign up for a new scheme that will see prisoners offered jobs to tackle reoffending, which is estimated to cost society £15bn a year.

Ministers hope the scheme will stop offenders from returning to a life of crime once they are released.

The Ministry of Justice announced a number of rule changes relating to release of temporary licence, which will include those in open or women's prisons being eligible to undertake paid work immediately after they've passed a risk assessment.

Kath said engaging with offenders and giving them the confidence to find work is key to getting people into employment, with people often turning to crime because of their circumstances.

She said: "I know that people who have been in prison and things, some people will think they have a bad reputation and deserve what they have got, but I just think sometimes a lot of people are there by circumstance.

"They have been brought up in an environment where their parents have been drug addicts and that's the only thing they knew, so that is the life they ended up going down.

(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

"For me, my normality was my mam and dad going to work, I had a tea on the table when I got up, some of these people never knew that.

"It is about putting the right tools and using the right connections that I have got, making them feel wanted and listening to them when they come into the Jobcentre and empowering them to be able to manage things.

"There's loads of people who want to do it but quite often they just they feel like they've never had the support and never wanted to come into a Jobcentre."

Kath added: "I have one customer who has been clean now for three weeks and it is just such an achievement to be clean for three weeks and have him coming into the Jobcentre and engaging with me. It is amazing. I love it. Just to be part of that."

Working within the community

As part of her role, Kath says she works within the community and charities, particularly groups that support women.

She said: "They have maybe been involved in domestic violence, served for a lot of different reasons why they are there.

"It is about raising awareness about what they need to do so their claim runs slowly and they can avoid getting any impact on their claim. Quite often it is just about the customer coming in and seeing the same work coach and be honest about what is going on.

"I go out into the community and tell people what to do, what to tell their work coach and to be open and honest.

"I have customers who have served life sentences and are working now and they have moved on.

"They have so much to offer. I think it is about giving the customer that confidence and saying there is people out there that want to employ you and what you have to offer is valuable to the community."

Ban the Box campaign

The Ban the Box campaign has helped get more people with convictions into work, Kath said.

Launched in 2013, it aims to make it fairer for people with convictions to gain employment because they are not required to tick the box and disclose criminal convictions when they apply. They can still ask but it is moved to a later part of the recruitment process.

Since it was launched more than 110 employers committed to creating fair employment opportunities to ex-offenders. Businesses signed up include Fujistu, Prestige Recruitment and Barkers LLP.

Kath said: "Taking on people who have ex records some people who really massive in the community across the country have records.

"There's a lot of people who have some kind of criminal conviction in every day life, whether a driving conviction, once your conviction is done I'm inclined to believe that people deserve a second chance.

"If they are willing to put the effort in and turn up for the appointments then I will give them whatever support they need."