Posted on 28 April 2023
When a serious accident meant Maria’s partner was unable to work, we helped them both navigate the welfare system.
Maria’s* partner David* was the main earner in the household. However, a serious accident at work left him with a head injury which meant he was unable to work. The injury has also affected him mentally, leaving him very anxious, and he can’t be left on his own.
With David unable to work, they fell into arrears on their rent. Our Income Team stepped in and appointed Sahra as their advisor to help them receive the Discretionary Housing Payment. Sahra was extremely knowledgeable and supportive about their situation from the start, which was reassuring for Maria and David during an uncertain time.
Thanks to Sahra’s support, their application for the Discretionary Housing Payment was successful and it cleared their arrears completely, removing a huge amount of pressure off them.
Maria is now David’s full-time carer as he can’t stay on his own, meaning she is also unable to work. She did apply for carer’s allowance, but she can’t qualify without David being approved for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). They are grateful that Sahra is supporting them with this application as well.
They have previously been turned down for PIP, but Sahra is confident that they will win their appeal. This extra money will make everything else a lot easier for them – especially with cost of living increases.
Sahra has helped them navigate the welfare system – they both said it would be very confusing for them otherwise.
Both Maria and David have aspirations to eventually return to work. David is a hard worker and was always proud of his work. The fact that he had gone from caring for her to her caring for him has been a really challenging adjustment.
Maria said that she would definitely turn to Hyde for help in the future if she needed to because “Hyde do care”.
*not Maria and David’s real names
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