Rachel’s Story
Rachel lives with her three children in a two-bedroom housing association property.
She began to struggle financially when deductions were taken from her Universal Credit. At the same time, her rent arrears repayments increased, other debts were mounting, and her cooker had broken – making it even harder to feed her family.
Rachel was referred to OCTA. After just one call, she received a food voucher so she could buy groceries for her family. Casework was then carried out to arrange for a new electric cooker, which was delivered and installed to replace the broken one.
Rachel also spoke with a Debt Adviser, who identified that she had over £12,000 of debt. We worked with her to create a financial statement, helping to stabilise her situation and make her finances more manageable. From there, we explored debt solutions and established that Rachel was eligible for a Debt Relief Order. We prepared and submitted the application on her behalf, and it was approved by the Insolvency Service. This means that, provided her circumstances remain the same, all of Rachel’s debts will be written off 12 months from the date of the application.
Afterwards, a previously unknown debt relating to past Council Tax arrears came to light. Through our financial aid support, this was also cleared.
The impact has been life-changing. Clearing her debts has given Rachel enormous relief and, for the first time in many years, the chance to live debt-free. With a working cooker, she can now prepare nourishing meals for her children and look forward to a more stable future.