Sophie’s Story
Sophie is a single mother caring for her disabled daughter.
In addition to her caring responsibilities, Sophie experiences her own health conditions, including mental health challenges, which affect her day-to-day wellbeing and ability to manage financial stress. She described her situation as managing to “just get by.”
Sophie was struggling to afford essential household items and facing ongoing cost-of-living pressures. She had limited awareness of her full benefit entitlements, and her significant caring responsibilities alongside managing her own health made financial instability a constant source of stress.
To provide immediate relief, we provided Sophie with emergency vouchers to cover essential needs. We also offered guidance to update her Universal Credit journal to request the Disabled Child Element and upload evidence of her daughter’s DLA award. Detailed advice was given about Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including a points guide to help assess her potential eligibility.
Sophie was also advised on additional support she may be entitled to, including assistance for arrears and water payment matching schemes, and she was supported to complete a budgeting exercise to better manage her finances. Sophie has acted on this guidance and applied the advice to her situation.
The emergency vouchers provided immediate relief during a period of financial difficulty. Since then, Sophie’s Universal Credit claim has been verified and accepted, resulting in a backdated payment of over £8,000. She is now considering further benefit applications and has a much better understanding of her entitlements and available support.
With these interventions, Sophie has gained confidence in managing her household budget and has a clear plan for the future. The support she received has not only increased her household income and reduced financial stress but also strengthened her ability to navigate the benefits system and access ongoing assistance.
“If it wasn’t for you guys I wouldn’t know about this stuff, so thank you so much. This is amazing. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for you. I can’t thank you enough... I just can’t believe this is happening to me.”