Helping hand through benefits maze for one man

Mr B had been a regular beneficiary of CFine when the organisation’s Safe team (Support, Advice, Finance, Education) reached out to him.

He had suffered multiple strokes in January 2016, and when he left hospital discovered he had lost his job.

Mr B was plunged into food poverty as he awaited his new Universal Credit claim to be accepted – adding to the stress of trying to manage even the simplest of household tasks as he recovered from his stroke.

Mr B is a registered paranoid schizophrenic with depression, erratic mood swings and panic attacks when he struggles to complete tasks he was capable of doing in the past.

He turned to CFine, which provided him with a financial capability officer.

It was through those discussions that it became clear to the team that Mr B needed much more financial support than Universal Credit could offer.

Staff helped him apply for a PIP (Personal Independence Payment), which provides extra financial support to those who live with various health problems.

However, Mr B had to overcome another problem before being granted the support – a medical interview, which heightened his anxiety.

Someone volunteered to go to the appointment with Mr B and help support him through the process. A spokesman for the Safe team said: “This actually moved the client to tears as the feelings of abandonment he had been experiencing were banished for a short while at least.”

Mr B passed the medical for the PIP benefit and received a large backdated payment which helped him pay off half his rent arrears.

Support workers also helped him negotiate with debtors and got a large portion of his debt written off.

The spokesman said: “Mr B is still visiting us today and the difference in his mental health is very obvious for us all to see.

“The financial relief due to the extra benefit has helped reduce the extent of the client’s depression.”