0:00:03 > 0:00:05Across Britain, in hundreds of towns,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08cities and neighbourhoods, people are struggling with everyday
0:00:08 > 0:00:11worries that have got on top of them.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13But there ARE places to turn, even if
0:00:13 > 0:00:16it seems that no-one else will help.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19This centre is one of them,
0:00:19 > 0:00:21made unique by the woman that runs it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25A nun for 50 years...
0:00:25 > 0:00:26SHE TOOTS HORN
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Bye-bye!
0:00:27 > 0:00:30..she's made it her mission to get this community
0:00:30 > 0:00:32back on its feet, and make a real difference to the lives
0:00:32 > 0:00:35of as many people as she can...
0:00:35 > 0:00:37in her own particular way.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43They don't call me the Formidable Sister Rita for nothing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Today, Sister Rita is summoned to Westminster after taking her
0:00:51 > 0:00:52views right to the top.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57There is dire, dire poverty in Collyhurst.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Our task today is to try and get this across to the minister.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But when she gets an unexpectedly positive result, the nun
0:01:06 > 0:01:09finds herself at the centre of a media storm.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12I have said nothing
0:01:12 > 0:01:15as a statement to anybody,
0:01:15 > 0:01:16I repeat that,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I have said NOTHING
0:01:19 > 0:01:21to the press
0:01:21 > 0:01:22or anybody else.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Collyhurst, Manchester - and the Lalley drop-in centre
0:01:27 > 0:01:30and food bank are once again open for business.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Right, I need to tell you something.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38New visitors are not allowed to take food
0:01:38 > 0:01:40until we see their documents.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46Calling the shots, in her inimitable style, is team leader Sister Rita.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Can you shut up, please. If you're all nattering like the kids
0:01:49 > 0:01:53in the nursery, we're not going to get anywhere, are we?
0:01:53 > 0:01:55If I find chewing gum on the carpet,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'll be sorry for the one who put it there.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00He's naughty, him.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04This is very serious, stop laughing.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06A nun for 50 years,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09for the last seven years, she's been overseeing an invaluable
0:02:09 > 0:02:13neighbourhood resource where people can come for advice and support.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18If you're having problems with the Job Centre - and believe me,
0:02:18 > 0:02:23I have a lot - you come in to us and we'll do the best we can.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28But there's a reason she's known to all as the Formidable Sister Rita.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Why are you looking at me like that?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Do you want to be thrown out on your ear?
0:02:33 > 0:02:34If you smoke out there,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37well, you'll be dead if I catch you.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39You don't want to be dead, do you?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Sister Rita's determined to make practical information
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and help accessible to those who most need it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49But the problems she hears at the Lalley aren't unique to Collyhurst.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53They're echoed in countless communities across the country.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55And Sister Rita has strong views about what
0:02:55 > 0:02:58she thinks needs to be done.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Are you listening?
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Rather than keep her opinions to herself, she's taking them straight
0:03:04 > 0:03:07to the top, and has written a letter
0:03:07 > 0:03:09to Prime Minister David Cameron.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14When I decided to write, I'd had a week of people
0:03:14 > 0:03:17coming in desperation.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19And I remember thinking, "Is there anything
0:03:19 > 0:03:22"I could do just to make it a tiny bit better?"
0:03:24 > 0:03:26So I wrote to the Prime Minister
0:03:26 > 0:03:31to say, "This is how it is for people who are desperate".
0:03:32 > 0:03:36While she waits to see if she'll get a reply, Sister Rita
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and her team are doing what they do best - making things happen.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Don't hit any car, please.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Don't even joke about it!
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Today, along with two of her volunteers, she's off to pick up
0:03:50 > 0:03:54furniture chosen from her own convent to be delivered to
0:03:54 > 0:03:58a 12-year-old boy who's moved to the area to be with his dad.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Well, the family who are waiting had trauma, actually,
0:04:01 > 0:04:06and they came into the Lalley about maybe two or three months ago.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09They moved into a house and the child wants to
0:04:09 > 0:04:12hang his clothes up, you know.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14I mean, it's a basic need, isn't it?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18A few days ago, Lalley Centre volunteers dropped the two
0:04:18 > 0:04:21items off for storage at a national charity -
0:04:21 > 0:04:24which distributes furniture to people who most need it.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- It was here, innit? - What's that there, behind it?
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But now they're struggling to find what they left.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33And one of the staff has some bad news...
0:04:33 > 0:04:35He thinks they no longer have it.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Well, it might have gone out if you dropped it off on Friday.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43I think what we brought on Friday has been given out to somebody else.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The charity gives out furniture daily to those in need.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50And it looks like the two items from the convent have already been
0:04:50 > 0:04:53given to someone else. All this way for what?
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Tell me, for what?
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Sister Rita is pleased the furniture has gone to a good home,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03but she is left with a problem, because she promised the boy
0:05:03 > 0:05:05and his father they'd have a wardrobe
0:05:05 > 0:05:07and chest of drawers later today.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I get worked up when families are waiting for something,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12they've been waiting for ages and suddenly they can't have it,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14you know, because it's gone.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I'm not going to keep this family waiting.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20I happily got a donation today
0:05:20 > 0:05:23that I think would be best spent on getting that.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24That's what I'm going to do.
0:05:27 > 0:05:28Back at the Lalley Centre,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Sister Rita hatches a plan with team member Kath - who's
0:05:32 > 0:05:35seen for herself how much the family is depending on their help.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- I'm far more upset than I look. - I know.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44I'm just aware of this 12-year-old with his bin liner of clothes.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- This is what I'm going to do right now.- Mm.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51I will ring two charities, or three...
0:05:52 > 0:05:54..tell them we will buy the wardrobe
0:05:54 > 0:05:57and we will buy the chest of drawers.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00Have you, by any possibility, got a wardrobe?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Could you give us a price, please?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Right. So, for £50, we'd get both.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12With a deal done, Sister Rita despatches her volunteers to
0:06:12 > 0:06:15pick up the vital wardrobe and drawers.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17Thanks a lot, mate.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Thank you. See you again.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24And as if that hiccup along the way had never happened,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26the Sister is able to deliver the boy's wardrobe
0:06:26 > 0:06:29straight to his door - just as she'd promised.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Yes!
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Not every problem Sister Rita
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and her team encounters can be resolved so quickly.
0:06:41 > 0:06:46Many of the people they strive to help have mental health issues,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49and Sister Rita worries that these people are particularly
0:06:49 > 0:06:52vulnerable when it comes to making the right choices
0:06:52 > 0:06:55or dealing effectively with their finances.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58A lot of people come into the Lalley Centre and they're depressed.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01And then they tell me that they were told that they're not depressed
0:07:01 > 0:07:05and they can get a job - I am furious.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08We have expressed all those concerns
0:07:08 > 0:07:13that we have about people who clearly cannot work.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16So, what do we do about that?
0:07:17 > 0:07:20We help them to get their lives back on track.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Someone with depression finding things especially difficult
0:07:23 > 0:07:24is Louise.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Her illness has exacerbated her money troubles -
0:07:27 > 0:07:29and as they've spiralled out of control,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33she's ended up in debt to payday loan companies.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35Hiya, Louise. I'm Lorraine, I'm a social worker.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38After missing the medical assessments needed for her
0:07:38 > 0:07:40benefits to continue,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Louise's payments were cut by the Department of Work and Pensions.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Such benefit reductions - known as sanctions - are increasingly common.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52It's been claimed that as many as one in five welfare claimants
0:07:52 > 0:07:56may have had one, after falling foul of the toughened-up rules.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59But for Louise, the pressure of having less money
0:07:59 > 0:08:01is beginning to tell.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I've been sanctioned since January of this year
0:08:04 > 0:08:08and I've not had a penny since.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12My benefit was sanctioned until
0:08:12 > 0:08:16I attended a medical assessment.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18When I went for the medical assessment,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the report went back to the DWP
0:08:21 > 0:08:25saying that I...could go to work,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29but I suffer with mental health issues.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34When I went for the medical assessment, I clearly explained
0:08:34 > 0:08:38how a general day is for me...
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- OK.- ..and all the stress that I... I'm sorry.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's OK. Don't worry. Here you go.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49What they're saying is she should be claiming Job Seekers Allowance,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51but she doesn't strike me as a person who's ready to go
0:08:51 > 0:08:55out into the workplace, so she needs help.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57The Government says sanctions are an important part of the benefits
0:08:57 > 0:09:01system, tackling those who don't follow the rules,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and reducing the tens of billions spent on benefits every year.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But charities have expressed concern that for those with mental
0:09:08 > 0:09:12health issues, they may just create more stress.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I'm just... I'm just not coping...
0:09:16 > 0:09:18very well, do you know what I mean?
0:09:18 > 0:09:22I'm not sleeping, I'm hardly eating cos of everything.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Even though I'm taking my tablets every day,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27erm,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29it's just getting to the point
0:09:29 > 0:09:34where I feel like I'm going to have a massive breakdown.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38How would you feel about if I contacted the doctor
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and got you an appointment?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Yeah, well, I should have gone yesterday to the doctors...- Right.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46..but I just couldn't get out.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Lorraine calls Louise's GP
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and makes an appointment for later in the week.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Do you want me to come with you?
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- Yeah, you could do, yeah. - Yeah?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01When I go for my review, I just, like, I say I'm doing fine.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04- Everything's OK. - When they're not...
0:10:04 > 0:10:06And you're not fine, are you?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09No, I'm far from it.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Based on what she's told me today, I couldn't imagine her
0:10:12 > 0:10:14in a workplace tomorrow,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17because she's got a lot of issues going on.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19How many children have you got?
0:10:19 > 0:10:23I've just got one currently living with me. It's my youngest.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26She's the reason I get up in the morning.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30She was, you know, clearly distressed.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33She should have come here in January when she got sanctioned,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35so she's managed all this time
0:10:35 > 0:10:37with nothing, you know,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40struggling to survive and to feed her child.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46People don't understand when you live with depression, it gets hard.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50If you don't want to get up on that day and go out,
0:10:50 > 0:10:52- you won't.- I know.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Mental health is such a difficult area, you can't see it
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and people may appear to look OK, but they're not OK.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Sister Rita's aim for the Lalley is for it to be a total one-stop shop,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11where locals can get help with all the problems they might be facing.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15And Louise is exactly the sort of case that prompted her letter
0:11:15 > 0:11:17to the Prime Minister, as hers
0:11:17 > 0:11:19is a classic example of the type of situation
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the nun wants David Cameron to be thinking about
0:11:22 > 0:11:24when making big decisions on benefits.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29When I see and hear what they're struggling with with benefits
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and unemployment, that really makes me fume.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36And you can see it in their eyes, you know.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39The hope is beginning to fade.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43They're very embarrassed and they frequently cry
0:11:43 > 0:11:46and break down when they're telling you the story.
0:11:46 > 0:11:52And you know the genuineness of what they're saying shines through them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Sister Rita's both surprised and delighted that her letter to
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Downing Street has prompted a swift response.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03The Prime Minister has passed on her concerns to Iain Duncan Smith,
0:12:03 > 0:12:04the government minister
0:12:04 > 0:12:07tasked with making the benefits system a success.
0:12:07 > 0:12:13And he's invited the nun to London to hear her concerns face-to-face.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15I was very, very, very, very surprised
0:12:15 > 0:12:17when I got the e-mail to say he'd see us.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20My main job in meeting the minister
0:12:20 > 0:12:24is to inform him of the effects
0:12:24 > 0:12:28his benefits are having
0:12:28 > 0:12:30on people who are struggling.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Astonished she's had such a positive response, Sister Rita can't
0:12:34 > 0:12:37wait to tell the Lalley Centre regulars what's in store.
0:12:37 > 0:12:42You have to hear about the minister, Iain Duncan Smith.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Kath McCarron and I, we're going to London tomorrow to see
0:12:46 > 0:12:50the minister and you'd better be thinking of us - all of you, OK?
0:12:50 > 0:12:54And we will do our best to fight the fight for Collyhurst.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Though unexpected, the summons to Westminster is a unique chance to
0:13:05 > 0:13:09bring the problems she sees every day to the attention of the Government.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12And, perhaps, for Sister Rita to make more of a difference
0:13:12 > 0:13:14than she'd ever dared hope.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19We are going to try and give
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Mr Duncan Smith a picture
0:13:22 > 0:13:27really of the misery that is being caused in areas like this.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29I don't know anybody actually here
0:13:29 > 0:13:32who's delighted to be on benefits.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36The government must and SHOULD be doing more.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39It's the people that are falling through the gap,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42people who are sick and disabled,
0:13:42 > 0:13:44the elderly.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46That's why we're doing what we're doing now.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48To try and raise some awareness
0:13:48 > 0:13:51of what people have to put up with
0:13:51 > 0:13:55in this day and age in this affluent society.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58There is no affluence in Collyhurst.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04News of the meeting with Iain Duncan Smith spreads
0:14:04 > 0:14:06quickly around the Lalley.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09As the man with the ultimate responsibility for the benefits
0:14:09 > 0:14:13system that affects so many of the people who call in, there's
0:14:13 > 0:14:15real excitement that Sister Rita
0:14:15 > 0:14:17will be able to voice their concerns.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22I am hoping that she will get Iain Duncan Smith to realise
0:14:22 > 0:14:25that we ARE struggling - the real people out there are struggling.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27What I would love out of the meeting
0:14:27 > 0:14:29is the awareness, that extra help
0:14:29 > 0:14:31and that support.
0:14:31 > 0:14:32All those things are necessary
0:14:32 > 0:14:35if we're looking forward to a greater Britain, we have to
0:14:35 > 0:14:38deal with these issues and that's what the Lalley Centre does.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40We haven't got a voice any more...
0:14:42 > 0:14:45..so for Sister Rita to be able to do that is good.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49She'll tell him straight!
0:14:53 > 0:14:57And the opportunity to tell it straight to Iain Duncan Smith
0:14:57 > 0:15:01is one that Sister Rita appears to be relishing.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04I don't know what he knows about religious Sisters, but people
0:15:04 > 0:15:09have an idea that religious Sisters are very quiet and docile...
0:15:09 > 0:15:11He's going to be in for a shock, then!
0:15:13 > 0:15:14It's not like that at all.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25One thing Sister Rita will be certain to mention at the meeting is
0:15:25 > 0:15:29the food bank that's become one of the cornerstones of the Lalley.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31Collyhurst is an area with high unemployment -
0:15:31 > 0:15:35and many residents have come to rely on it to get by.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Don't push!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40But for the food bank to keep running, Sister Rita has had to
0:15:40 > 0:15:43develop a network of suppliers who are willing to
0:15:43 > 0:15:45give their surplus stock for free.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Are they all right here? Yeah?
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Big names in the food world she's persuaded to donate include
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Tesco, Greggs and Costco.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You can take two. Take two.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Yeah, that's great. Thanks a lot.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But keeping those suppliers on side is crucial.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13So today, Sister Rita's on charm offensive - visiting two of her
0:16:13 > 0:16:16most valuable suppliers to let them know how vital their donations are -
0:16:16 > 0:16:21and to encourage them to keep giving as much as they can.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25You're for ever looking and ringing and asking
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and searching to get food that people need.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32If people didn't give, we wouldn't be able to do what we're doing.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34We are going to...
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Riley's Sausages.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42Riley's is a local meat wholesaler that specialises in making sausages.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- That all right? - Perfect.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Owner Carol is a contact the Sister has developed a relationship with
0:16:48 > 0:16:51in her own distinctive way.
0:16:51 > 0:16:56I knew she was doing some work in Manchester with very poor people.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I just asked her if she wanted anything
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and she's never been off my back ever since!
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We have a little bit of, um...
0:17:04 > 0:17:07a creative arrangement between us,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10where sometimes, I do the shouting,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12you know, and she does the listening.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- The burgers...- Yes! - I'm going to keep it quiet from you!
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Wait till we do kebabs, I'm not telling you!
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Oh, well - I'll know, won't I? Cos you've just told me.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26She's a character, but she can get things out of people more than,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I should think, anybody else.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30You don't say "no" to Sister Rita.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35And while she knows resistance is futile where Sister Rita's
0:17:35 > 0:17:38concerned, Carol's more than happy to help.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41She's even been known to cook up extra supplies
0:17:41 > 0:17:43just to keep the nun happy.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47If we really didn't have anything left, we would make it for her.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49In fact, I have made it for them before.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52She's been screaming at me, "Have we got any more left?"
0:17:52 > 0:17:56and I said, "Go and make her some, to keep her quiet!"
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I think that if you've got a business,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03especially a food business, you should help the less fortunate.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05There are many, many people
0:18:05 > 0:18:09all over England that need people like the Lalley Centre.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But she does a lot of good work and I dare say at her age,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15she shouldn't be running around so much.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Next stop, another vital supplier down the road - a growing
0:18:21 > 0:18:24regional bakery that now has over 60 stores.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27We're going to Greenhalgh's bakery.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31The Sister is here to break bread with the company's top brass,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34to make sure that main man David Smart
0:18:34 > 0:18:37keeps those food bank donations coming.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40First of all, I want to say thank you
0:18:40 > 0:18:43so much for the bumper wagon you sent to us.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It's a pleasure.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49I'm always saying this to you, you know, but the quality is very good.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51You must know that, do you eat your products?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Look at the size of me!
0:18:56 > 0:18:59David vividly remembers the day four years ago
0:18:59 > 0:19:02when he and Sister Rita first met.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03Oh, my lord.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06She came in just bursting through the door
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and I thought, "She's a nutter"!
0:19:08 > 0:19:10An Irish catholic nun on a mission!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- This is Italian bread, it's called ciabatta.- Oh, yeah - I know that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19She's quite forthright, but then, you cut away at all that
0:19:19 > 0:19:22and you actually see the heart of gold that she's got and then,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26once you see that heart of gold, you'll do anything for her.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Good for you!
0:19:28 > 0:19:32I know that you've always continued to help us in the past
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and I'm hoping you're going to do it in the future.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36We make our money within the community,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39so it's only right we give back to the community.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40Yeah, OK.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44As long as they need it, we'll always help.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47I mean, at the end of the day, why throw it in a big hole
0:19:47 > 0:19:49when somebody else can benefit?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52I really do trust the Irish nun.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56I mean, she will make sure THAT gets to where it's needed.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Doing the rounds of the food bank suppliers is an essential
0:19:59 > 0:20:02part of keeping the service going.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05But things might be easier for Sister Rita
0:20:05 > 0:20:08if she could hand over some of that to her right hand man, Max.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11You can choose one piece of meat.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- One piece?- One. One.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Max.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18Well, I don't think you'd ever get another Max.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Sister Rita's trusted deputy is originally from Peru, but he
0:20:24 > 0:20:29came here to the UK to be with his British wife Maria five years ago.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31And he now has responsibility for the day-to-day
0:20:31 > 0:20:33running of the food bank.
0:20:33 > 0:20:34What's your name?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- Etta.- Etta?- Etta.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40As he began to volunteer,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43it wasn't very long before both of us
0:20:43 > 0:20:46realised we were singing from the same hymn sheet.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50Sister Rita relies on Max for everything,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53except for one key thing that could really help.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Max doesn't yet have a UK driving licence
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and that means the Sister is stretched doing work that her
0:20:59 > 0:21:01assistant could be doing.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Sometimes we get phone calls from some donors.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08With my driving licence, I could take the van and collect it
0:21:08 > 0:21:12but right now I cannot do it, so that's a problem.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But, determined to get behind the wheel
0:21:18 > 0:21:22and help Sister Rita out, Max has been taking driving lessons.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28Max has great empathy with people. He will go the extra ten miles.
0:21:29 > 0:21:34So far, though, those extra ten miles have had to be on foot.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Because, while the lessons have gone well,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Max has had no luck passing his test.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I've failed five times. Five times, yes.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Max's problems in joining the fast lane are a far cry from life
0:21:49 > 0:21:53back in Peru where he was a regular on the roads.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57The driving licence from my country's not valid here in UK.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03In my brain, seeing coming cars from the wrong side was a little
0:22:03 > 0:22:07difficult in the beginning for me, so it was very confuse for me.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Max has now been booked for his latest test
0:22:12 > 0:22:15and thinks it might be sixth time lucky.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- We will celebrate when? Next week! - THEY LAUGH
0:22:19 > 0:22:25I think I'm 100% ready for my test on Wednesday.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28If Max gets it right and at last gets his driving licence,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Sister Rita's task of running the food bank might just become
0:22:32 > 0:22:34that little bit more simple.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38I wish and pray every single hour of the day that he can drive.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43If he wants something from B&Q, I have to drive him to B&Q.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45So of course I want Max to drive!
0:22:51 > 0:22:53But before Max retakes his test,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56another day of reckoning has arrived.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01You have to show him your ticket.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Along with team member Kath, Sister Rita is on her way to London
0:23:04 > 0:23:09to meet Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12As the minister responsible for the benefits system in the UK,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14the Sister can't wait to let him
0:23:14 > 0:23:18know what life in Collyhurst is really like.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19It's a great opportunity.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21I still can't believe he's allowing us to come
0:23:21 > 0:23:23and see him, actually.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24But we're on the front line
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and they have a right to hear what's going on at the front.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31They're not going to know about it.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34No, except from what they see in the papers and what's perpetuated
0:23:34 > 0:23:38but it's, you know, life of Riley on benefits, you know, you can
0:23:38 > 0:23:42have Sky, holidays abroad and a fancy car.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44That is not our experience at all.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48No, and I think one of our tasks today is to try
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and get this across to the minister. There is dire,
0:23:51 > 0:23:56dire poverty in Collyhurst and it should not be in this land.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02But, for Sister Rita, this is about much more than simply
0:24:02 > 0:24:05getting on her soapbox to give the minister a talking-to.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09She wants to return from London with something specific to improve
0:24:09 > 0:24:13the lives of those who come to the Lalley Centre for help.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I'm hoping that by the time we've said our bit, he will be
0:24:16 > 0:24:22initiated into making some kind of response like, "What could you
0:24:22 > 0:24:26"give to us in Collyhurst that could help us to do this better?"
0:24:26 > 0:24:32Now, my feeling is that the minister will be slow to make any
0:24:32 > 0:24:35promises today or to give away anything.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40But they don't call me the Formidable Sister Rita for nothing.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Neither do they call me Atilla the Nun for nothing.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Sister Rita's bagged a meeting with a man who could make a real
0:24:50 > 0:24:52difference to the people of Collyhurst.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01But she knows the challenge now is to come away with the right result.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Back at the Lalley, Lorraine has another meeting with Louise,
0:25:07 > 0:25:11who's had just the sort of experience with the benefits system
0:25:11 > 0:25:14that Sister Rita wants others to avoid.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17You've had all the papers back now, haven't you?
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- And you've got a date for next week? - Yeah. 19th, yeah.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24For almost nine months, Louise has been living
0:25:24 > 0:25:26on severely reduced benefits.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28They were cut after she missed key medical assessments
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and officials concluded she was fit to work.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35But she suffers with depression and both she and Lorraine
0:25:35 > 0:25:39think the decision to part suspend her payments was wrong.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Now, with Lorraine's help,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45she's set to appeal the ruling at an upcoming tribunal.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50If it goes in her favour, she may have her benefits reinstated
0:25:50 > 0:25:55and also backdated to the time they were originally suspended.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So they've sent you copies of all the paperwork that they're
0:25:57 > 0:26:00- going to be reading at the tribunal. - Yeah, yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Louise is currently trying to run her home without more than
0:26:04 > 0:26:07£100 a week in employment-support allowance.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08To make up for that,
0:26:08 > 0:26:13she's resorted to using money offered to her by loan companies.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18I'm thousands of pounds in debt for borrowing 150 quid.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I thought I'll be able to pay it back.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24But, as you know, when you don't pay anything back,
0:26:24 > 0:26:26the interest just goes up and up and up and up.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29Yeah. And how much do you owe now?
0:26:29 > 0:26:311,400 quid.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36If the appeal goes in my favour, I'll get the loan shark off my back
0:26:36 > 0:26:40and then I'll be all right, then.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Before the tribunal takes place, though,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Louise has the doctor's appointment
0:26:44 > 0:26:48that Lorraine arranged to talk about her illness.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50All this is getting on top of me. It's doing my head in.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Yeah, you need to get it sorted out.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Lorraine is hopeful that a GP might review Louise's medication.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And, if she can get a sick note from the surgery,
0:27:04 > 0:27:05it could help at the tribunal.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09It went quite well, the appointment. They have changed her medication,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12they've referred her for some counselling as well
0:27:12 > 0:27:14but then she's come to pick up a sick note from reception and
0:27:14 > 0:27:17the Job Centre told the doctor not to issue
0:27:17 > 0:27:21any more sick notes for her, saying she's fit for work.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26The news that the Job Centre has apparently advised
0:27:26 > 0:27:30the surgery not to issue a sick note hasn't gone down well with Louise,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32who admits she does have a temper.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I think that's stupid, that, me.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40It's the doctor that tells them that I'm not capable of work,
0:27:40 > 0:27:41not the other way round.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Lorraine calls the Job Centre to find out exactly what was
0:27:46 > 0:27:47sent to Louise's GP.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52She's told it was a standard letter regarding sick notes used to
0:27:52 > 0:27:55support benefits, explaining what happens
0:27:55 > 0:27:58if those benefits have been suspended.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02But it's not supposed to stop a GP issuing a sick note where
0:28:02 > 0:28:03one's appropriate.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Armed with the knowledge that a sick note can still be issued,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11they head back into the doctor's, where it's clear
0:28:11 > 0:28:14the letter has caused confusion for everyone.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17The benefits system can often be a challenge,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20even to someone as well versed in it as Lorraine.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23The benefits system is really difficult to navigate
0:28:23 > 0:28:26cos it changes all the time.
0:28:26 > 0:28:28I have to phone up and get the information
0:28:28 > 0:28:30cos I don't have all the answers.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33When we phone up, some of the benefits advisers give us
0:28:33 > 0:28:35conflicting information
0:28:35 > 0:28:38and it's quite hard to understand who's right or wrong.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45When Lorraine passes on the new information from the Job Centre,
0:28:45 > 0:28:49it results in the surgery issuing the all-important sick note
0:28:49 > 0:28:52and Louise has found her support invaluable.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54I wouldn't have got anything done without you.
0:28:54 > 0:28:59- Yeah, it's never easy to navigate around the benefits system.- Yeah.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02But Louise's biggest challenge is still to come.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Will the tribunal agree that her
0:29:04 > 0:29:06benefit sanction should be overturned?
0:29:13 > 0:29:16In London, Sister Rita's meeting with Work and Pensions minister,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19Iain Duncan Smith, is finally over.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21I think he was tense at the beginning
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and I think he was waiting for us to take out the shotgun,
0:29:24 > 0:29:25to be honest with you.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- You know, because everybody else is doing it.- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36It was better than I ever imagined it could be.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38I didn't imagine that he would be
0:29:38 > 0:29:42so receptive to what we were telling him.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46I am very, very optimistic about this
0:29:46 > 0:29:52and very happy that somebody who's the lawmaker has listened to
0:29:52 > 0:29:56what we're trying to tell them and I think it'll pay dividends.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03What's more, during the meeting, Iain Duncan Smith pledged to
0:30:03 > 0:30:04trial a new scheme,
0:30:04 > 0:30:08which would see Job Centre staff drop into the Lalley each week to
0:30:08 > 0:30:13give visitors face-to-face advice on claiming benefits and finding work.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19If successful, it could even be rolled out across the whole country.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20We won't let it go.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26The new plan is a bolt from the blue for Sister Rita.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29But mixed with her excitement is the fear that, once she's
0:30:29 > 0:30:33back in Collyhurst, this won't stay top of the minister's agenda.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37I said to him, "If I go out of this room, I hope we're going to
0:30:37 > 0:30:41"hear from you again and that this won't be the end of it."
0:30:41 > 0:30:42And he said,
0:30:42 > 0:30:47"No, we are very interested and we want to do as much as we can."
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Politicians make a lot of promises
0:30:49 > 0:30:53but politicians haven't before met Sister Rita Lee, have they?
0:31:05 > 0:31:08But it seems her worries are ill-founded.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Over the next few days, plans for testing out
0:31:10 > 0:31:15the Department of Work and Pensions' new initiative are quickly firmed up.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20The Lalley Centre will have some manager from
0:31:20 > 0:31:23DWP who will come in here
0:31:23 > 0:31:27and they will be available for anyone who's been sanctioned.
0:31:27 > 0:31:33They will have a direct access to people who make decisions.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37It sounds to me like a better plan than us
0:31:37 > 0:31:41plodding away trying to find somebody who not only knows
0:31:41 > 0:31:45what we're talking about but can make some kind of a decision.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51The plan is that, for a trial period, Job Centre Plus staff
0:31:51 > 0:31:55will be on hand at the Lalley Centre to discuss work or benefit issues,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59with the authority to review benefit sanctions on the spot.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02It could save visitors time and money on telephone calls
0:32:02 > 0:32:05and, it's hoped, streamline the whole process.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09Good morning, everybody. Can I just have your attention, please?
0:32:09 > 0:32:11It's a real coup for the Sister
0:32:11 > 0:32:15and she wastes no time in sharing the good news with her regulars.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19- Last week, we told you we were going to London, did we?- Yeah.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Well, here's the proof.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24APPLAUSE
0:32:24 > 0:32:29Us standing with the Secretary of State in his office.
0:32:29 > 0:32:34Kath McCarron and myself told him about the poverty,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38about the despair of some of the people coming in here.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43He listened very carefully about how he can make it
0:32:43 > 0:32:46better for people on benefits.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50Job Centre Plus, they're coming in here.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53I've got faith enough to believe that they're trying to make
0:32:53 > 0:32:54a difference.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57They could fix it right there.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02If somebody asked me, "How successful was the trip to London?"
0:33:02 > 0:33:05I would say 100% successful.
0:33:07 > 0:33:08Thank you.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14Someone else looking for 100% success is Sister Rita's deputy,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Max, as the day of his latest driving test has arrived.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22If he can pass, he should be able to lighten
0:33:22 > 0:33:27the load on Sister Rita by taking on even more food bank responsibilities.
0:33:27 > 0:33:33I feel very confident. I practise a lot, so I'm ready.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36This will be my sixth time, so
0:33:36 > 0:33:40I have plenty experience in driving tests here in the UK.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Max is relaxed, with no last-minute nerves.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49But will all that practice be enough to get him
0:33:49 > 0:33:51the result he needs this time around?
0:33:56 > 0:34:01Unfortunately, no. Max has failed his driving test yet again.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Definitely not the result he was looking for.
0:34:04 > 0:34:09Well, this is the driving test report. I made 11 faults.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15I feel very disappointed with myself because I need my driving licence.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Makes me feel not very happy!
0:34:21 > 0:34:25Now Max has the extra ordeal of having to tell Sister Rita
0:34:25 > 0:34:28that he's still stuck in neutral when it comes to driving.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32And he's hoping he's caught her on a good day to deliver bad news.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35We have bits of shouting times, you know.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38You see, I want everything yesterday...
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Good morning, everybody.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42..and Max is more measured.
0:34:42 > 0:34:46And, of course, sometimes he's right and sometimes I'm right.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Hello, Sister. Good morning. How are you?
0:34:52 > 0:34:56- How did you go on? - I failed, again.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It's all right because you'll pass the next time, OK?
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Hard going for you, love, isn't it? Eh?
0:35:03 > 0:35:06Max is relieved Sister Rita has taken the news in her stride.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12But then, he is a particularly valued member of the team.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16We do work very, very well together
0:35:16 > 0:35:21and I'm not quite sure how the Lalley would function without him.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24For now, Max will have to hope that it's lucky number seven
0:35:24 > 0:35:28in his bid to pass his driving test.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32But, until then, Sister Rita will still be the one on the road
0:35:32 > 0:35:35when it comes to the Lalley's official food bank business.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38I'm thinking, "Oh, God, will you hurry up?"
0:35:38 > 0:35:41You're not going to say that to somebody who's just
0:35:41 > 0:35:44failed their test but you can say it to yourself, that's allowed.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50As the Government's pilot scheme gets underway,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53with Job Centre advisers tackling work and benefit queries right away,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Sister Rita's thrilled at how it
0:35:55 > 0:35:58builds on the centre's regular business
0:35:58 > 0:36:03This is in your interest, you know. It isn't in mine.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Until an unexpected announcement in London sees her
0:36:06 > 0:36:11thrust into the limelight in a way she hadn't been prepared for.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Something that I'm also just trialling at the moment,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18which the committee will not be aware of, I haven't said anything about it before,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22I was visited by a particular food bank
0:36:22 > 0:36:24before the summer break to talk about some of the issues
0:36:24 > 0:36:29about delivering food and some of the problems with individuals
0:36:29 > 0:36:32that turn up and say they have a problem with their payments.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Only a few weeks into the ongoing trial,
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Iain Duncan Smith had, without warning,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41told the Work and Pensions Select Committee, and the world,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43that it was happening.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46If this works and if the other foodbanks are willing to
0:36:46 > 0:36:49encompass this and we think it works, we think we'd like
0:36:49 > 0:36:51to roll this out across the whole of the UK.
0:36:51 > 0:36:55Sister Rita, who understood it was all meant to be kept under wraps,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57suddenly found herself bombarded with calls
0:36:57 > 0:37:02as the story and the Lalley became headline news.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04And when the minister's office does finally call...
0:37:04 > 0:37:06- PHONE RINGS - Hello.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08..she's less than impressed.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Well, first of all,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12we've kept our side of the bargain here,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14we didn't put this out to anybody.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20My charity Caritas is bombarded from everybody and anybody about this.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Though rattled at suddenly being the centre of attention,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27it's not long before Sister Rita is back in control.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30But why did you put it out, then?
0:37:31 > 0:37:33I mean, all right, you can say to me
0:37:33 > 0:37:35it's up to the minister what he does,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38but because we were acting the way we were, it would have been just
0:37:38 > 0:37:40courtesy to let me know.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44And, the thing is, I think that it needs time and it needs us
0:37:44 > 0:37:46to work on it.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49It's a very new approach, people are mistrustful.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54We have to work through that. Bye-bye, bye-bye. Yup.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Well, that's him told.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Sister Rita is also upset at how some
0:38:02 > 0:38:05reports are referring to the people who use the food bank
0:38:05 > 0:38:07and she wants to put that right.
0:38:07 > 0:38:13I need to speak to you very urgently about this and you need to listen.
0:38:14 > 0:38:20The media are flocking around right now looking for information
0:38:20 > 0:38:25about the DWP coming here on a Thursday afternoon.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31I have said nothing as a statement to anybody.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35I'll repeat that, I have said nothing.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40What they've put in here is...beyond belief.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43"The Department of Work and Pensions staff are basing
0:38:43 > 0:38:48"themselves at the Lalley Community Centre food bank in Collyhurst,
0:38:48 > 0:38:53"which has been overwhelmed with demand from penniless families."
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Do you think I'd say that about you? I would not.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Sister Rita, I've got absolute faith in you, honestly.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Sister Rita's been taken aback at how her desire to
0:39:08 > 0:39:13help on a bigger scale has suddenly become altogether more political.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16And while she's still behind the pilot scheme,
0:39:16 > 0:39:19she's surprised at how quickly it's being labelled a success.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Right now, I don't think I'm in any position to say
0:39:22 > 0:39:25that it's either a success or a failure.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30There's some correctness, I think, in what they're saying
0:39:30 > 0:39:35but then there's always a slant that comes into it that makes it
0:39:35 > 0:39:40either antithe-government, and I'm not saying I'm pro-the-government.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44I'm pro those people out there and I'm pro-the-government
0:39:44 > 0:39:46if they're going to do anything at all to help them.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51Those of us that are in the business of helping people who are struggling
0:39:51 > 0:39:56for whatever reason, then we fight for them, we're on their side,
0:39:56 > 0:39:58we want them to have a better life.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02And whatever makes it that tiny bit better, we're happy about.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Away from the national stage,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13a story closer to home is reaching its conclusion.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17It's the day of Louise's tribunal, to rule
0:40:17 > 0:40:20whether she's entitled to benefits that are paid to those who have
0:40:20 > 0:40:23difficulty working because of long-term illness.
0:40:24 > 0:40:30If I don't win today, I dread to think where I'll be next week.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34I'm very nervous. Very nervous, yeah.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Louise struggles with depression
0:40:36 > 0:40:40and, in the past, was paid benefits supporting her illness.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43But after she missed medical assessments earlier in the year,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46her Job Centre decided she was fit for work
0:40:46 > 0:40:49and suspended her main weekly benefit.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I don't know what the outcome of today is going to be.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56This is my life, do you know what I mean?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Sister Rita has sent Lalley Centre social worker Lorraine
0:41:04 > 0:41:06to support Louise through the hearing.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Just be really clear about what you're saying.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11But I'll be there by your side. Are you good to go?
0:41:11 > 0:41:14- Right, yeah. I'm good to go. - Are we going to do this?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- Yeah, let's do this. - Let's do it.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22If the appeal finds in her favour, Louise may have her benefits
0:41:22 > 0:41:26reinstated and also backdated to the time they were originally suspended.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33- You were amazing. - Thank you. You were too.
0:41:33 > 0:41:38They're going to send the result of the tribunal
0:41:38 > 0:41:40out in the post tonight.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Louise was amazing.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47I know you got upset a few times, which is fine. It's stressful.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51I was able to get my answers across and my opinion
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and that's what I wanted, really.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I wouldn't have got through that without you and your support.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02Fingers crossed, I'm hoping that it's going to go in my favour.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Two days later, Louise learned her appeal against her benefits
0:42:09 > 0:42:11sanction had been successful.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14After the support she's received from the Lalley Centre,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17she's now once again receiving payments.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21And the tribunal's ruling is good for the next two years.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29Cases like Louise's have become familiar to the team at the Lalley.
0:42:29 > 0:42:32And that's one reason why Sister Rita is so pleased with
0:42:32 > 0:42:36the new pilot scheme that came out of her meeting with Iain Duncan Smith.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39If it works, it will mean, across the country,
0:42:39 > 0:42:43decisions on contested benefits sanctions can be made much faster.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47Which, for people like Louise, will make a big difference.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51And now the dust has settled, the nun is starting to share
0:42:51 > 0:42:55the minister's optimism on how the trial will turn out.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59I think the fact that the Government is trialling
0:42:59 > 0:43:03a project at the Lalley right now, we're very happy with that.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07We're seeing, now, things happening
0:43:07 > 0:43:10and I think the word is getting around.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13And I think it's wonderful
0:43:13 > 0:43:17if the Lalley Centre has influenced any policies that come out
0:43:17 > 0:43:21that will be more beneficial to the people who are struggling.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Whilst making a difference on a national scale is important,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Sister Rita doesn't want anybody on her own doorstep
0:43:28 > 0:43:30to slip through the net.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33So her focus now is to find a way to bring together every
0:43:33 > 0:43:36member of the local community who may need her help.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40Next time...
0:43:40 > 0:43:42This is Collyhurst.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45..Sister Rita's attempts to tackle loneliness in the area
0:43:45 > 0:43:48receive a blow when her new friendship club falls flat.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52They don't think they need to come out of their homes to meet
0:43:52 > 0:43:56with other people and that's it, we have to break that down.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00And the Sister heads back to where her own journey began,
0:44:00 > 0:44:05as the city of Cork comes together to celebrate her 50 years as a nun.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09Women are extraordinary beings, truly they are.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11I'm not saying I don't love men.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE