DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.26563.1 ISSN: 2398-502X

Mitigating the impact of child poverty in a highly diverse population: feasibility and acceptability of co-located welfare benefits advice in healthcare and community settings

Siew Fung Lee, Elizabeth Cecil, Laura Austin Croft, Matthew Oultram, Angela Bartley, Michelle Heys, Claire Cameron
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Background Children growing up in poverty experience poorer health and reduced life opportunities, especially in families where one or more child has a disability. The Healthier Wealthier Families approach is designed to mitigate the impact of child poverty by co-locating welfare benefits advice (WBA) and health appointments in places parents routinely access. There are two aspects to co-location: i) a simple integration of referrals between clinical practice and WBA; and ii) on-site delivery of WBA in trusted locations. To date, co-located arrangements have shown positive financial impacts and potential for alleviation of stress, but have rarely been tried in ethnically and linguistically diverse families nor with families with a child with a disability. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of co-locating WBA within healthcare and community settings in East London, targeting families with children under two or with disabilities. Methods The research was conducted across three sites in two boroughs where WBA was available in health or community services. The study analysed financial impact data from 174 referrals at one site and conducted interviews with 55 parents and 12 stakeholders covering all sites. Project QI monitoring data were also used. Results The intervention was largely acceptable to families and feasible to deliver. At one site, 60 families gained an average of £7933 annually in additional income and support. Three key themes emerged: i) co-location enhanced service accessibility by leveraging existing trust; ii) language barriers presented significant challenges; and iii) financial advice services substantially impacted families’ lives. Conclusions Success factors included flexible delivery, streamlined referral processes, and culturally sensitive approaches. However, implementation requires attention to language support and privacy concerns within close-knit communities. While the intervention showed promise, the findings suggest co-location cannot fully overcome systemic inadequacies in the welfare state. Future research should examine long-term sustainability and scalability.

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