Holiday break for ECAP Tuesday support sessions
As usual the volunteers who staff the ECAP weekly support sessions will be taking a break between Xmas and the New Year. Our last support session of the year will be Tuesday 19th December and the sessions start again on 9th January 2024, and will continue to run every Tuesday. If you need support for benefits and poverty problems please email ecapmail@gmail.com to make an appointment.
If you have an urgent situation over the break please email ecapmail@gmail.com and we will try and get back to you within two or three days, but we are a small group of volunteers so our resources are limited.
See this page for more information.
***UPDATE: June 2023***
Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty run free support and solidarity support sessions every Tuesday for benefit hassles, debt, housing problems etc. The support sessions are by appointment only (Phone and email support is also available.) Contact ecapmail@gmail.com to make an appointment on a Tuesday.
Currently the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh is without permanent premises, but is continuing its activities, and the ECAP sessions continue every Tuesday at a temporary location. When you contact us to make an appointment, we will send you full details of the address including details of public transport to the venue. The appointments run from 10.30am till mid-afternoon. The venue has full disabled access.
We normally hold the support sessions every Tuesday throughout the year – except that we close between Xmas and New Year: the exact dates of the holiday break are usually published on our website and/or Facebook in December.
Please do not make an appointment or attend if you are unwell, particularly if you have cold/ flu/ covid-type symptoms.
We practise a Safer Spaces policy at all times.
ECAP/Edinburgh Claimants are continuing our support for and solidarity with claimants as well as all those up against the authorities
How to Contact ECAP
- Email us at ecapmail@gmail.com any time, and we will try to reply within 2 days. If you don’t have email you could ask a friend to contact us on your behalf. Email is the best way to contact us.
- Ring 07421 388508 (Ansaphone only) any time and leave a message. We aim to respond to messages within 2 days. Best to leave a short message with your phone number, please speak your number slowly and repeat it.
Do contact us if you have an ongoing problem which is not yet resolved. Don’t hesitate, it will help us if you get in touch. The struggle continues.
More important information on our support sessions below, please do read !
Isolated, claimants can be bullied and harassed. With the backing of a group we are much stronger.
We are not paid professionals or lawyers. We are all volunteers and almost all claimants ourselves. We are independent of all authorities and are totally on the side of the claimant.
SOLIDARITY CALL-OUTS
When we fight claimant’s cases, together we very often achieve a decent outcome using tactics such as advocacy, phone calls, letters, meetings with managers and so on. However if the authorities still aren’t listening then we can consider if this battle could be won by a solidarity call-out. This involves putting out a call to all signed up to the ECAP solidarity network to turn up at the appropriate location or office – e.g. a council office, a jobcentre, an MP or councillors surgery – to show support/ demonstrate in solidarity with the claimant and to insist there must be a decision which meets their needs. We have organised solidarity call-outs at Jobcentres, councillor’s surgeries, banks and other places, usually with success. Of course we only go ahead with such an action if the person concerned is 100% happy about it, and if we reckon there is a good chance of winning our aims.
One For All And All For One
We fight claimants’ cases as part of the social struggle against injustice and exploitation. So when we win a victory – like over-turning a sanction for example – it’s really useful to publicise this. Sometimes it’s also useful to highlight a particular injustice and how people can fight against it. When we write such articles, e.g. on our website or Facebook, we do so anonymously, we don’t use names, or any other details which would make it easy for people to be identified. This is integral to how we support people, and to how our solidarity works, but if you have any concerns, please do ask. And if your particular situation means any publicity, even anonymous, may be harmful, do tell us and we will respect that.
DATA PROTECTION
If your case is ongoing then we need to ask your permission to store some information. This is kept secure, you can access it, have it deleted at any time and, if you wish, take it away with you.
GET INVOLVED IN ECAP
We very much need new people to get involved in ECAP. If interested you are very welcome to contact us at ecapmail@gmail.com or 07421 388508 (Ansaphone only). If you wish, we could meet up, eg by arranging an appointment to see us on a Tuesday when we hold our solidarity sessions. We encourage people to take away leaflets to distribute and participate in our advocacy stalls at the Jobcentres, etc. Click for our principles.
[Last updated: 26 June 2023]
