Change Grow Live executives present a corporate narrative of a supportive and compassionate charity. The reality on the ground is completely different.
A nationwide survey of Change Grow Live staff exposes the severe financial hardships caused by a decade of poverty wages. Frontline workers manage complex caseloads and support individuals in crisis, yet many are being pushed into severe financial insecurity. Dedicated staff are routinely forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their own families.
Unpaid overtime is another hidden crisis. The charity relies heavily on staff working unpaid hours out of deep dedication to their service users. This unpaid labor masks the true cost of delivering these public services. It allows executive directors to hide structural understaffing and dangerously high burnout rates.
The Cost of Living Reality for CGL Staff
| Frontline Welfare and Livelihood Indicator | Survey Outcome and Metric |
|---|---|
| Food Bank Consideration | 42% of staff have considered using a food bank in the past year |
| Active Food Bank Reliance | 16% of staff currently survive on food banks |
| Essential Utility and Food Rationing | 39% must choose between heating their homes and buying food |
| Deferred Purchasing of Essentials | 86% must delay buying basic goods until their next payday |
| Debt Management and Counselling | 73% have been forced to seek debt counselling |
| Pension Contribution Cancellations | 20% have stopped paying into their workplace pensions |
| Debt Rescheduling and Restructuring | 52% have rescheduled debts to make ends meet |
| Housing Insecurity and Homelessness | 53% struggle to pay rent or mortgages, and 5% have been made homeless |
| Reliance on Secondary Employment | 46% have been forced to take a second job to survive |
| Reliance on Emergency Loans | 68% must borrow money from friends or family to make ends meet |
| Decline in Frontline Mental Health | 79% report a decline in mental health due to financial stress |
| Decline in Frontline Physical Health | 54% report a decline in physical health due to low pay |