120 - Helping single mum with unexpected debt - April 2023

This week we are pleased to send £500 to help W, a single parent from Poland, who has found herself with some awful financial problems through a complication with her housing benefit..


W works as a cashier in Sheffield and like so many has been affected massively by the cost of living crisis.


5 years ago, W informed Universal Credit about changes in her work - details she expected to be passed on to the council and the housing benefit team.


However, a couple of months ago the council informed her that following a case review they discovered they had been overpaying her housing benefit for these 5 years and she owed over £4000.


This came as a complete shock to W, who is obviously not in a position to pay this back.  She has become ill with the stress and is currently on a very long waiting list for some mental health support through IAPT.  


She is receiving support to discuss manageable repayment plans with the council, but is understandably very overwhelmed by the unexpected situation.


We know our donation is only a fraction of the debt, but we wanted to send it to W as a way of giving her some hope that things will improve for her.  


She was already struggling to make her wages last throughout the month, so we hope this extra will help her manage as she gets her finances back on track.


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