Give a Local Lifeline this Christmas
Iris is a pensioner living alone. She has no friends, family or support network, and her crippling anxiety makes everyday tasks, like opening mail and answering the door, feel impossible. Moreover, her physical health severely limits her mobility:
“I can’t get around easily—I have to use taxis because I’m on crutches…I can’t get on and off buses, and I’m scared of falling again.”
No longer able to use her car or pay for its upkeep, she decided to sell it, but with no-one to look out for her, she was taken advantage of and ended up with fines over £5,000.
“I had no one to help me.”
Fortunately, Iris went to a foodbank where we have an adviser, and summoned the courage to speak to her. Our adviser booked her an appointment with our Specialist Caseworker, Irma. After her first appointment, Iris’ relief was immediate:
“My shoulders dropped about three feet. It was a sense of relief when things were being sorted out.”
Iris isn’t alone, anymore, but there are many more people like her who have no-one to help them and struggle to reach out for help.
It costs £29.44 to give someone advice at a community outreach.
For people like Iris, our advice needs to be as easy to access as possible. It’s vital that we increase our outreach locations, but we need your help to do so.
Donate £29.44 today and give someone like Iris a local lifeline this Christmas.
Thank you.
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Iris' Story
Iris doesn’t have a support network or family to lean on, but when she was coerced into selling her car, it set off a series of events which sent her affairs into a spiral.
Her car had been sitting unused on her driveway for years. She needed it to stay mobile but couldn’t afford the repairs to make it roadworthy. Over time, a series of people knocked on her door asking to buy it. Her anxiety often kept her from answering, but one man was particularly persistent.
“He seemed like a nice person. He always had his son with him – you don’t expect somebody who’s a crook to always bring his son with him,” Iris recalls.
Trusting his friendly demeanour, Iris sold the car for £250. The man signed a note to confirm the sale, but due to her mental health struggles, Iris didn’t promptly send off the paperwork to the DVLA. She had no idea what was to unfold.
The buyer drove recklessly around London, racking up unpaid traffic and PCN fines – all in Iris’ name. These fines, totalling over £5,000 with the accrued interest, went unnoticed by Iris because her anxiety prevented her from opening her mail.
“I just couldn’t open my mail. I had piles of unopened mail because I couldn’t cope,” she said.
The situation spiralled. Bailiffs began knocking at her door, intensifying her anxiety and leaving her completely overwhelmed. It took Iris nearly two weeks to summon the courage to reach out for help.
She spoke to one of our advisers at a foodbank, and – thankfully – everything started to change.
Iris was given an appointment with Irma, our specialist debt and benefits caseworker, who stepped in to unravel the tangled web of debt and demands. She contacted creditors and enforcement agents, explaining Iris’ vulnerable situation. After much advocacy, Irma successfully had all £5,130 of debt written off.
The relief was immediate.
“My shoulders dropped about three feet. It was a sense of relief when things were being sorted out,” Iris said.
But Irma didn’t stop there. She is helping Iris secure additional financial support, like Attendance Allowance, provided guidance to help her manage the rising cost of living and her bills, and encouraging her to access other support.
Though reaching out was difficult, Iris is so glad she did.
“They’ve been wonderful. I couldn’t have done it without them [Citizens Advice Barnet].”
She wanted to thank Irma for her help: “Thank you, Irma, so much – you are really managing to keep my head above water at the moment! I’m so grateful to you and CAB.”