Lewis’ Story
Lewis lives alone and had been struggling to cope with rising living costs.
As energy prices increased over the winter months, he fell behind on payments and his energy supply was eventually disconnected, leaving him without power in his home. With no additional income beyond Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment, Lewis had very limited financial flexibility.
At the point of referral, Lewis had no available funds, very little food, and was still weeks away from his next payment. He was in a highly vulnerable position and unable to meet his basic needs.
Through One Call, That’s All (OCTA), we provided immediate crisis support, including:
Energy vouchers to restore his supply and cover emergency credit
Supermarket vouchers to help him purchase essential food
Alongside this, we completed a full needs assessment to identify further support and longer-term solutions.
This assessment revealed that Lewis was not receiving his full housing entitlement through Universal Credit, as his Local Housing Allowance should have fully covered his rent. It was also identified that he was paying more council tax than necessary, and an application for Council Tax Reduction was recommended. In addition, Lewis was found to be eligible for the LIFT Enhanced water scheme, helping to reduce his water costs.
Following these interventions, Lewis confirmed that the applications had been successful and that his household bills had reduced accordingly.
With his energy supply restored, access to food secured, and his outgoings reduced, Lewis is now in a more stable position and better able to manage his finances moving forward.
“I feel embarrassed telling you these things but I do really appreciate the help”