Read Jason’s story

Our partnership with Cambridge Citizens Advice is transforming the lives of many people who have had to visit our Foodbank. One such example is Jason*.

Jason is in his 30s and lives in private rented accommodation. He has a partner with whom he has one year-old child who he sees regularly and supports financially, although they are living apart. He previously had two part-time jobs but had to leave one job after sustaining injuries in an accident – he also suffers from depression and anxiety. Jason was referred to Cambridge Citizens Advice after visiting our Foodbank as he was struggling to make ends meet and having difficulty in paying off his debts. He urgently needed advice on how best to manage his finances to properly support his child. 

The adviser began by conducting a full exploration of Jason’s current income and outgoings to find out whether there were further benefits he would be eligible for beyond the Universal Credit (UC) he had been receiving while working. The options they discussed included his applying for Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The advisor provided him with a PIP self-test and explained the next steps for making an application. 

They worked out that Jason’s debts amounted to £3,500, including £1,500 he owed in rent arrears, and also established that he had no savings or assets. Having taken a close look at his pattern of monthly spending, they suggested some ways that he could consider reducing his outgoings and provided him with tips on how to lower the cost of his supermarket shop. To make the monthly budget more manageable, they suggested that he could put a sum aside when his UC payment comes in to cover spending at the end of the month. 

The adviser then sent Jason two budgets; one showing his current spending leading to a deficit and a sample budget that would keep his account in balance by following the suggestions they had made to reduce his outgoings. They emphasised that he should not worry if he was unable to make the changes all at once but rather focus on making small improvements over time. A referral to a Fairbite Food Club was made to help in the short term whilst he looked to make changes. 

Jason was very grateful for this specialist advice from the adviser and is following their suggestions in the knowledge that they should lead to a drastic improvement in his situation. The advisor assured him he could re-contact Cambridge Citizens Advice if he needed further help to enable him to better support his child and begin to pay off his debts. 

* Name changed to protect client’s identity