Carol has various physical and mental health conditions and understands a moderate amount of English. She was referred to the financial inclusion team because she was transitioning from supported housing to live in her own property (without a support worker), and she also had limited knowledge about how to apply for the right benefits.
When Carol was referred to us, she was already receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) but was not receiving help to pay her rent.
She needed to claim Universal Credit (UC) so we applied on her behalf and managed her account online to avoid payment delays and to make sure she received the correct amount. We also accompanied Carol to her initial appointments at the Jobcentre to ensure her UC claim was set-up correctly and her claimant commitments were completed.
Following that we accompanied Carol to her GP appointment to update her address and to request a “Fit Note” so that she was not expected to look for work and would also receive the additional UC health element payment.
We also applied for Council Tax Support and Council Tax Single Persons Discount which now covers her full Council Tax cost. We set up an online account so that she can access her Council Tax account and various council services and we liaised with her previous landlord to progress her credit refund from her rent account.
We are really pleased that Carol is now settled into her new home, with all her finances in place. The ability to cover her rent and bills is so important to give her peace of mind that her home is secure for her future and happiness.
