Case Studies
Client A is an African female in her 40s. She had incurred £900 arrears with her rent and had received letters from her landlord, threatening eviction. She did not have the skills or the confidence to talk directly to her landlord and sought help from the Foyer’s Housing Service. The Support Officer wrote to the landlord and explained that she had been offered a better paid job that would allow her to pay more rent in the future but this was being delayed while the organisation waited for her CRB check to clear. The Support Officer also negotiated an arrears payment plan with the landlord that A felt she could afford. By being involved with the negotiations, A developed the confidence to deal with her landlord directly and now communicates with him if she has any problems. A has maintained her tenancy and developed the self confidence to tackle difficult issues herself in future.
Client B is a single mother with 1 child. She opted to take voluntary redundancy from her job after more than 30 years with the company. She expected to find work very quickly but after months of unsuccessful applications she had lost her confidence and was very worried that she had made the wrong decision, particularly as she had a mortgage on her property. She was referred for support via the Next Step service by Job Centre Plus. During the meeting, it became clear that her anxiety over her decision had become a significant problem and was having a serious effect on her wellbeing. She was given reassurance by the advisor and together they compiled an action plan. She was then helped with her CV and began to use the Foyer facilities regularly to search for jobs. She was referred to the Foyer Counselling service and she worked with the counsellor to overcome her anxiety and worries that she had made the wrong decision. She has since found employment and has written to the team to thank them for their support in helping her to find work.
Client C is a female refugee in her 40s with 2 children. She became estranged from her husband and took over the sole responsibility for the family’s financial affairs. She was diagnosed as HIV positive and subsequently became ill and was moved onto Statutory Sick Pay by her employer, giving her a much lower level of income. She got into arrears with her rent, electric, gas and water rates bills and sought help from the Foyer's Money Advice Service. The advisor worked with her over many months to manage the situation. She was supported in applying for Housing Benefit and repayment plans for the gas and electric arrears were agreed with the utilities companies. The advisor made an application to the British Gas Energy Trust for assistance. They agreed to help by wiping out the total water rates arrears of £937. Client C is no longer in arrears with her utilities bills and is continuing to seek support from the Foyer to deal with the other issues in her life.
Mr and Mrs D are in their 70s and came to the centre after it advertised in the University of the Third Age magazine. They had no knowledge of computers and the internet and were being encouraged by their daughter to “get online”. She had already bought them a computer but they didn’t know where to start. They worked every week with an advisor to learn to use the mouse, become familiar with the computer, find out about surfing the net and to complete all the courses offered by UK Online. They attended for many months and really enjoyed their weekly visits to the centre. They did not tell their daughter that they were learning to use the computer so it came as a big surprise to her when an email arrived from them, sent from their own computer.
Client V is in her late 20s and was homeless when she sought help from the Independent Housing Advice service. She had fled a domestic violence situation and had been sleeping rough and squatting for more than 6 months. she was particularly vulnerable as she suffers from bipolar disorder and OCD and has a history of drub abuse. She was advised of her options and consulted the service's list of accommodation before chosing a flat in Dunstable. She met the local criteria for the rent deposit scheme but the property was in the adjoining county of Central Bedfordshire. Her advisor negotiated with Luton Borough Council on her behalf and it agreed to provide the rent deposit, despite the property being out of its area. She was supported to complete her Housing Benefit claim and the payment was safeguarded so that it is paid directly to the Landlord. She has been happily settled in her flat for many months now.