Eliza is a mother of three. Both she and her partner have mobility issues, which currently prevent them from working.

While they await decisions on their disability benefit applications, the family is living on a very low income. Eliza regularly relies on food banks, as they struggle to afford food. Like many parents facing financial hardship, she and her partner prioritise feeding their children over themselves.

At home, the family were also dealing with rising energy costs. Eliza’s old gas cooker was inefficient and unreliable – food had to be cooked at higher temperatures and for longer periods just to ensure it was properly cooked. This was significantly increasing their energy usage and putting further strain on their household budget.

During our adviser’s assessment, we discovered that the family’s prepayment meter had gone into emergency credit, adding even more pressure.

To help ease their immediate situation, we provided:

• A fuel voucher to top up their prepayment meter and move them out of emergency credit

• A supermarket voucher to relieve food insecurity

• A new cooker to replace their old, energy-inefficient appliance

Our adviser also referred Eliza for further support, which resulted in an additional supermarket voucher and a clothing voucher. This allowed her to buy winter coats and essential items for her children, helping them stay warm during the colder months.

Through these interventions, Eliza and her family received vital immediate support. Together, we created a plan to help stabilise their finances, and our adviser continues to work closely with Eliza and her partner. This includes supporting them with benefit applications and keeping in regular contact so they feel consistently supported