PEOPLE supported by a city homeless service face being thrown back out on the streets unless changes are made to the welfare reforms coming to the city, a charity leader has said.

Since opening its doors in 2006 Emmaus has helped hundreds of people get back on their feet after falling on hard times.

The social enterprise offers accommodation, a job, and meals as well as round the clock care to homeless people, known as companions, who have come to them asking for help.

But, with a £4.4million shortfall expected when universal credit rolls in, Gary McHaffie, the general manager of Emmaus in Glasgow, has said the service is in danger of collapsing.

Mr McHaffie said: “It will be a disaster for us - the likelihood of these welfare reforms is we would close.

“We support ourselves through our business on the most part but we do rely on housing benefit which is the only benefit claimed by companions.

“Right now we have 27 companions who would be left with nothing if these reforms were to come in as they are. Some of the companions here would really struggle to survive if they lost this.”

Based in Glasgow, Emmaus has three charity shops it runs in Hamiltonhill, Partick and Mount Florida. The service exempts itself from council funding as the business makes money through sales from its shops which creates roughly 60 per cent of the finances it needs.

The only state funding it does rely on is housing benefit claimed by companions who use it to help pay for the accommodation.

One of the main problems Emmaus is facing is the fall in the amount of financial benefit companions will receive after universal credit replaces housing benefit.

Another is the maximum amount of hours universal credit claimants are able to volunteer for as a part of the total hours they spend seeking employment.

Alan Slattery, 57, who has been a companion at Emmaus for three years, said: “I came to Emmaus after coming to Glasgow to find work and get back on my feet.

“I have been with the service for three years and I don’t know what I would do without this place.

“After going through a really tough time in hospital I thought I was on the road to recovery. But my illness got worse again. I have bronchiolitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and I wouldn’t be able to live by myself.

“This place is a life line for me - the support I get here keeps me going. I nearly died when I was in hospital and I’ve never really recovered.

“In the real world I know I would find it very difficult to cope.

“But here I am given the time I need to recover and work.

“It’s a brilliant service that a lot of people rely on.”

The service currently has eight full time staff helping the companions - three of which are former users of the service.

“There needs to be a serious rethink of these welfare reforms coming in,” added Mr McHaffie.

“The people who come to us for help have really struggled and people who have lived chaotic styles are not going to change overnight.”

The group are set to campaign outside Holyrood in June and ask MSPs to review the impact of the welfare reforms.