Husnara* - Integrated services
Husnara is a local woman. She was unemployed with store card debts in excess of £3,000 and unpaid utility bills totalling almost £1,000. She was referred to our advice team by one of our GPs and was suffering from a heart condition, osteoporosis, arthritis and depression. Her flat was unfurnished and she couldn’t afford to buy the basics. Her needs were complex and she was at her wits end.
Our staff quickly discovered that she was not claiming any disability living allowance and her income support had been underpaid for three years. We did some very simple things. We contacted the three store cards, explained the situation, asked that interest be frozen and requested the opportunity to negotiate the repayment terms. We did the same with the utility companies and asked that she not be disconnected. We applied for a community care grant to furnish her flat and we worked with her on benefit claims.
The result was that she started to receive enhanced disability living allowance of £102.90 per week and a one-off back payment of £1,234.80. Her income support payment was corrected and she received a catch-up payment of £800. A community care grant of £900 was awarded and she could buy good quality second-hand furniture and appliances for her flat. The store cards reduced her outstanding amount by £2,000 and she has now paid off all her debtors.
Not surprisingly her health has started to improve and she has become more independent and confident. She is now engaged in several activities in the Bromley by Bow Centre, including a vocational training programme. Improving Husnara’s financial literacy has transformed her life. Our integrated approach has connected up a range of services for Husnara in a way that a conventional approach could never achieve.
*This is not her real name.
