At the start of the pandemic, many people lost their job because of the restrictions and lockdowns. One of them was Tom*, a young father who has been supported by Hope Into Action in Cambridge for two years. Tom struggled with some mental health difficulties and found it hard to deal with the economic consequences of losing his job. He had applied for Universal Credit, but the period of waiting he had to do before his first payment meant he was left with very little money for a whole month. His support worker at Hope Into Action, Matt, told us:
“I remember talking to him and he literally had £1 to his name. He had to pay the electricity bills, he had to make sure he had credit in his phone to stay in touch with his young daughter. And he had £1.”
Matt applied to the VRF Emergency Fund on behalf of Tom in May of 2020. He needed a grant to help Tom pay for basics such electricity while waiting for his first Universal Credit Payment, and he needed it fast. Luckily, we were able to award him £150 so he could face these payments until his Universal Credit money started coming in. With the support of Matt, Tom has not stopped making progress since: he has been able to stick to a budget and manage his Universal Credit payments, he has been engaging with mental health support services and is now looking to move on from the supported accommodation Hope Into Action offer. Matt told us about the work Tom has put into his recovery, and how happy he is to see the results for him:
“The VRF Emergency Fund grant allowed Tom to stay afloat until the first Universal credit payment came through. With that stepping stone, and with the work that he has put into and the support we have offered, Tom is now doing very well and will be able to move on with his life”.
*Please note the names and pictures of beneficiaries might have been changed to protect their privacy.
