Shaun and Lucy needed help clearing debt after a disability meant Shaun could no longer work. His wife, Lucy, had to care for him full-time, so their household income plummeted.
Why was our debt advice needed?
The fall in household income from not being able to work caused:
- £6,500 of debt to build up
- A county court judgement against them
- Their wellbeing to deteriorate.
With impending rises in fuel bills, they could no longer see a way forward. So, they turned to our charity for help and spoke to Jenny, a debt caseworker to find a debt solution.
How did we help clearing their debt?
Jenny worked with the couple for five months, helping them to get hold of their finances. She reduced their outgoings, increased their income and got them on a debt management plan.
This required Jenny to:
- Conduct a debt assessment, identifying priorities and non-priority debts
- Convince the water supplier to reduce the couple’s repayments to £5 a month under the Assist & Restart Scheme
- Get the Councils Welfare Support team to clear the couple’s rent arrears
- Ask the DWP to pay the housing part of their Universal Credit directly to the housing provider, reducing the risk of future arrears
- Get them on an affordable and sustainable Debt Management Plan for non-priority debt
- Maximise their benefits
- Apply for grants from St Monica’s Trust and British Gas
- Give them a pre-payment meter fuel voucher.
What difference did helping to clear their debt make?
Shaun and Lucy were able to start building a financial cushion to deal with rising energy costs.
That was because our team:
- Reduced their bills
- Increased their income
- Helped them to manage their ongoing finances.
This effort took away their stress and supported their wellbeing.
The couple had this to say about Jenny’s hard work: “We really can’t believe everything you have done for us; you’ve been amazing.”
We’ve improved Shaun and Lucys’ financial situation. However, we’ve made them aware that we are still available should they ever need us in the future.
