Samaritans charity is receiving an increase of calls from “people with financial worries” during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The organisation said that with the rising cost of food, energy and fuel “making everyday life hard for millions” its teams are experiencing an increase in those reaching out for help during these “incredibly difficult times”.
The charity, which is aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, has also said it is “critical” that the government makes “suicide prevention a priority when tackling this crisis”.
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Mubeen Bhutta, head of policy, public affairs and campaigns at Samaritans, told the ECHO : said: “These are incredibly difficult times with the rising cost of food, energy and fuel making everyday life hard for millions. Undoubtedly, the crisis is putting pressure on a lot of people, and we are beginning to see an impact.
"Our volunteers have always provided emotional support to people troubled by their finances – it is by no means a new concern to our helpline, but worryingly, we are beginning to see a small, gradual increase in calls for help from people with financial worries. Suicide is complex and there is rarely a single reason that someone takes their own life, but we do know that financial hardship can increase the risk of someone dying by suicide.”
The same financial concerns can be found locally with James' Place Liverpool, a charity which works with adult men who are experiencing a suicide crisis.
The charity, which works closely with Citizen’s Advice, has seen its referral numbers double in the last 18 months. Usually, they receive around eight - 10 referrals a week they reached a peak in August when the number of referrals increased to 25. Now, they have “settled down a little bit” and are “routinely getting an average of 15 people a week”.
Jane Boland, the head of James’ Place clinical team in the Georgian Quarter on Catharine Street, told the ECHO that when men are referring themselves or someone else to their services, they are asked what are some of the contributing factors to the crisis they are experiencing, to which “a lot of them talk about debt”.
She said: “When we did our evaluations, the number one factor is relationship breakdowns but debt has always been in there. It is not just debt, but also how hard it is for people to get out of it and how hard it is for people to access help.”
Agreeing with Lewis Appleby, the professor of psychiatry who directs the national confidential inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness, Jane said the impact of austerity and the government’s response to the suicide crisis amidst the cost-of-living crisis needs to be considered.
She added: “Something that I worry about working in mental health is that we’ve almost stretched everyone to breaking point and everybody is just managing to get through. It's the impact of long-term distress on people's physical health. It’s a worrying time for most of us who are working in the field, but there is space for some optimism because there are so many interesting and innovative organisations working out there to help people.”
Ahead of the winter months, when it is expected many will come out worse off financially, Jane said that every GP in Liverpool is contracted with CAB and this is a route to be considered when needing access to support around debt.
Samaritans’ Mubeen Bhutta added: “It’s critical that the government makes suicide prevention a priority when tackling this crisis and provides adequate support for those most in need. With costs rising, it is likely that more people will be seeking support with their finances, including unmanageable debt, so it’s important that they are also offered help with their mental health.
“At times like this, we need to look out for those around us to check how they are coping and whether they need any support. We know that many people find it hard to ask for help when they are struggling but encouraging people to open up can help them share what they are facing and help them find a way through. If you are worried about someone, give them a safe space to talk about how they are feeling, as this could make all the difference.”
The Samaritans emphasised that they “are here to listen”, before adding: “Whatever you’re going through, whether that be worries about the cost of living or anything else, a volunteer is there to help.” The charity, which works across Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton and the Wirral, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides non-judgemental support and “is here for anyone who needs someone”.
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