Cynorthwyo trigolion Gogledd Cymru yn ystod cyfnod o 5 mis o gyfyngiadau Llun gan Sir Ddinbych /

[Please scroll down for Welsh]

We are going in to month 5 of the response phase to this pandemic and we have taken the time to reflect on the impact our organisation has made. There are a large number of residents that we have supported in the North Wales region and many still requiring support – new referrals or ongoing.

There are 378,400 people currently furloughed in Wales. There were 100,000 extra UC applications made between March and May (DWP).

In April CAB reported that 4 in 10 people saw an income drop with 1 in 14 loosing 80% or more and 1/3 of renters have fallen or are expected to fall behind with their rent payments.

Recent figures from UK Energy Research Center have said that we are spending on average £32 an extra on our energy bills per month and from September our direct debit payments will go up by £25. (https://ukerc.ac.uk/news/how-the-lockdown-is-disrupting-the-usual-coping-strategies-of-the-fuel-poor/). The fuel poverty coalition has warned that an extra 200,000 households could find themselves in fuel poverty, these are for the UK and we already know that 12% (155,000) of households are in fuel poverty spending more than10% of income on fuel costs).

So why does this matter-knowing that we are spending more time at home and with the potential of there being a second wave and this may be happening over the winter period, cold homes can result in increased death and illness along with social isolation, stress and worry about heating bills and deb, can affect children as well as adults having a negative impact on life, including attainment at school.

Taking all of this in to account the work that we have been doing in partnership with Denbighshire and Flintshire Voluntary Council providing support to residents that need prescription collection, befriending, food collection, food parcels along with offering support from Warm Wales has meant that we have been able to support many more resident, that needed our support but did not know we were there. Alongside this we have continued to work with partners in the third sector and Local Authorities that cover Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham along with working with health professionals including GP’s and health visitors ect.

Warm Wales aims to provide homes with affordable warmth and alleviate fuel poverty across the country, knowing that if you are experiencing fuel poverty you will be impacted by all other areas of poverty.

Warm Wales is a community interest company supporting communities around Wales with energy saving advice and fuel poverty support for the past 15 years. We look to support residents to get connected to main gas using the Warm Homes Assistance Scheme (subject to criteria and location to mains), look at energyswitching, FRESH vulnerability mapping to aid better targeting, partner referrals and support via Healthy Homes Healthy People.

So what has the impact been and what can we offer in the recovery phase?

We have received 505 referrals (217 from DVSC, 170 from FLVC, 112 from partners via our portal and 6 from our new health and GP pilot (started end of July) 461 were due to the impacts of Covid 19.

We have delivered 2163 interventions and supported over 1000 residents across North Wales from 3 months up to 95 years, we have signed up 147 vulnerable households to the Priority Service Register. We have brought in savings to residents on tariff switching, fuel debt, food provision, emergency top ups and water bill support totalling £9,202. We have facilitated the installation of safety measures such grab rails, CO detectors and smoke alarms. The largest amount of savings has been as a result of new and replacement central heating systems and energy efficiency measure totalling £142,577.

We have provided 2 referrals to access the British Red Cross Emergency fund as residents had no access to income.

All residents that we have spoken to have received advice on saving money on energy bills, water bill support, debt support with water and energy bills, carbon monoxide advice etc. plus access to free or subsidised food parcels, food delivery, prescription collection and referrals for befriending. Every call that has been made has made a real difference, simple actions but life changing for many in the community that are becoming increasingly isolated and lonely.

This is just the start of the support that we are able to provide and with the continued partnership working between Warm Wales and Denbighshire Voluntary Council we will be able to provide this in to the recovery phase to residents of Denbighshire and North Wales.

For more details please contact Joanna Seymour on Joanna.seymour@warmwales.org.uk

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Wrth i ni gyrraedd y pumed mis o'r cyfnod ymateb i'r pandemig, rydym wedi neilltuo amser i ystyried yr effaith y mae ein sefydliad wedi'i chael. Rydym wedi cynorthwyo nifer fawr o drigolion rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru, ac mae llawer yn dal i fod angen cymorth parhaus ac atgyfeiriadau newydd.

Mae'r ffigurau'n darlunio effaith y pandemig yn glir. Ar hyn o bryd mae 378,400 ar ffyrlo yng Nghymru a gwnaed 100,000 o geisiadau ychwanegol am Gredyd Cynhwysol rhwng mis Mawrth a mis Mai (Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau).

Ym mis Ebrill adroddodd Cyngor ar Bopeth fod 4 o bob 10 o bobl yn wynebu gostyngiad mewn incwm, gyda 1 o bob 14 yn colli 80% neu fwy o'u hincwm. Mae 1/3 o rentwyr ar ei hôl hi, neu mae disgwyl y byddant ar ei hôl hi, gyda'u taliadau rhent.

Mae ffigurau diweddar gan Ganolfan Ymchwil Ynni y DU wedi dweud ein bod yn gwario £32 yn ychwanegol, ar gyfartaledd, ar ein biliau ynni bob mis ac o fis Medi ymlaen bydd ein taliadau debyd uniongyrchol yn cynyddu o £25. (https://UKERC.ac.uk/news/how-the-lockdown-is-disrupting-the-usual-coping-strategies-of-the-fuel-Poor/).

Mae'r gynghrair tlodi tanwydd wedi rhybuddio y gallai 200,000 o gartrefi ychwanegol wynebu tlodi tanwydd ac rydym eisoes yn gwybod bod 12% (155,000) o gartrefi mewn tlodi tanwydd yn gwario mwy na 10% o incwm ar gostau tanwydd.

Mae cost tanwydd yn arbennig o bwysig oherwydd yr oriau ychwanegol yr ydym yn eu treulio gartref a'r bygythiad o ail don a chyfnodau o gyfyngiadau ychwanegol. Pe bai hynny'n digwydd dros y gaeaf byddai effaith cartrefi oer yn arwain at ganlyniadau difrifol. Byddai nifer uwch o farwolaethau a salwch cynyddol, ynghyd ag unigedd cymdeithasol, straen a phryder ynghylch biliau a dyledion, ymhlith y canlyniadau. Byddai hyn yn effeithio ar blant yn ogystal ag ar oedolion, gan gael effaith negyddol ar fywyd, yn cynnwys cyrhaeddiad yn yr ysgol.

A ninnau’n dyst i effeithiau Covid-19 drosom ein hunain, rydym wedi ffurfio partneriaeth â Chynghorau Gwirfoddol Sir Ddinbych a Sir y Fflint i roi cymorth i drigolion. Mae'r gofynion wedi bod yn niferus gan gynnwys casglu presgripsiynau, cyfeillio, casglu bwyd, parseli bwyd ynghyd â chymorth ychwanegol gan Cymru Gynnes.

Trwy weithio mewn partneriaeth rydym wedi gallu cynorthwyo llawer mwy o drigolion y mae angen ein cymorth arnynt, na fyddent fel arall wedi gwybod ein bod yno. Yn ogystal â hyn, rydym wedi parhau i weithio gyda phartneriaid yn y trydydd sector ac awdurdodau lleol sy'n gwasanaethu Conwy, Sir Ddinbych, Gwynedd a Wrecsam ynghyd â gweithio gyda gweithwyr iechyd proffesiynol gan gynnwys meddygon teulu ac ymwelwyr iechyd.

Nod Cymru Gynnes yw darparu cartrefi â chynhesrwydd fforddiadwy a lliniaru tlodi tanwydd drwy’r wlad, gan wybod y bydd pob maes arall o dlodi yn effeithio arnoch os ydych yn dioddef tlodi tanwydd. Mae Cymru Gynnes yn gwmni buddiannau cymunedol sy'n cefnogi cymunedau ledled Cymru gyda chyngor ar arbed ynni a chymorth tlodi tanwydd dros y 15 mlynedd diwethaf.

Rydym yn gweithio i helpu preswylwyr i gael eu cysylltu â'r prif rwydwaith nwy gan ddefnyddio Cynllun Cymorth Cartrefi Cynnes, edrych ar newid ynni, defnyddio mapio bregusrwydd FRESH i helpu i dargedu’n well, atgyfeiriadau partneriaid a chymorth ar lefel stryd drwy gynllun Cartrefi Iach, Pobl Iach.

Felly, beth fu effaith ein gwaith a beth allwn ni ei gynnig yn y cyfnod adfer?

Rydym wedi derbyn 505 o atgyfeiriadau (217 gan CGGSDd, 170 gan CGLlSFf, 112 gan bartneriaid drwy ein porth a 6 o'n cynllun peilot iechyd a meddygon teulu newydd (a ddechreuwyd ar ddiwedd mis Gorffennaf) roedd 461 o ganlyniad i effeithiau Covid-19.

Rydym wedi cyflawni 2163 o ymyriadau ac wedi cynorthwyo dros 1000 o drigolion drwy Ogledd Cymru, o 3 mis oed i 95 oed, rydym wedi cofrestru 147 o gartrefi bregus ar y Gofrestr Gwasanaeth Blaenoriaeth.

Rydym wedi sicrhau arbedion i drigolion drwy newid tariff, helpu gyda dyledion tanwydd, darparu bwyd, cymorth brys ychwanegol a chymorth i dalu’r bil dŵr, sy’n dod i gyfanswm o £9,202. Rydym wedi hwyluso'r gwaith o osod offer diogelwch fel rheiliau i afael ynddynt, synwyryddion CO a larymau mwg. Cafwyd y swm mwyaf o arbedion o ganlyniad i newid systemau gwres canolog a gosod rhai newydd a sicrhau effeithlonrwydd ynni sy’n dod i gyfanswm o £142,577.

Rydym wedi darparu 2 atgyfeiriad i gael mynediad at gronfa Argyfwng y Groes Goch Brydeinig gan nad oedd gan drigolion fynediad at incwm.

Mae'r holl drigolion yr ydym wedi siarad â nhw wedi cael cyngor ynglŷn ag arbed arian ar filiau ynni, cymorth ar gyfer biliau dŵr, cyngor ar ddyledion ar gyfer biliau cyfleustodau a chyngor ynghylch carbon monocsid. Yn ogystal â hyn, rydym wedi rhoi mynediad at barseli bwyd am ddim neu wedi’u sybsideiddio, gwasanaeth danfon bwyd, casglu presgripsiynau ac atgyfeiriadau ar gyfer cyfeillio. Mae pob galwad a wnaed wedi gwneud gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol. Camau syml oeddent ond maent wedi newid bywyd sawl un yn y gymuned sy'n dod yn fwyfwy ynysig ac unig.

Dim ond dechrau'r cymorth y gallwn ei ddarparu yw hyn, ac wrth i Cymru Gynnes a'r Cynghorau Gwirfoddol barhau i weithio mewn partneriaeth, byddwn yn gallu darparu hyn ar gyfer y cyfnod adfer i drigolion Sir Ddinbych a Gogledd Cymru.

Am fwy o fanylion cysylltwch â Joanna Seymour ar Joanna.seymour@warmwales.org.uk