One of our rent payment officers, Marie, recently pulled out all of the stops to help a tenant and her young son get back on their feet after arriving in the UK with nothing. Not only did she help them move into their property, but she made sure they had all of the things they needed to properly turn their property into a home.
Our tenant, Miss Jones*, moved to the UK from Eritrea with her young son. They first arrived in London with no belongings and were then transferred to temporary accommodation.
Unfortunately, Miss Jones struggled to speak and understand English and had to use Google Translate to communicate with people. One of these people included our rent payment officer, Marie, who was really supportive from the outset. Nothing was too much effort for Marie, who went above and beyond to help Miss Jones, and her son feel safe and at home in their new property.
*Name changed for anonymity.
She contacted the gas and electricity supplier
When she first met Miss Jones, Marie could tell she was scared and confused. She wanted to help and immediately took action by contacting the energy provider, OVO, to set up the gas and electricity accounts on their behalf.
Marie also arranged the Turn On and Test checks for the gas supply, which unfortunately showed there was an issue with the boiler, and that there would be no heating or hot water over the weekend.
She made sure Miss Jones and her son stayed warm
Miss Jones contacted Marie to let her know about the faulty boiler, and Marie immediately arranged for some electric heaters to be provided until the boiler issue could be fixed.
She set them up with everything they needed
Marie got in touch with our Money Advice Team to arrange funding for several essential items - a cooker, a bed for Miss Jones’ son and a fridge freezer. Following further discussions with the Money Advice Team, the family were also given bedding sets and a kitchen starter kit to help them settle in.
Later that evening, while scrolling through Facebook, Marie found a family giving away some basic household items for free in the local area. She got the seller’s permission to pass her details on to Miss Jones, who then arranged to collect some of the items.
She managed to transfer Miss Jones’ son to a nearby school
Miss Jones was having to pay for two Day Saver bus tickets so that her son could get to and from school every day, which she couldn’t afford on a long-term basis.
Marie contacted the school admissions team and applied to the local council for a primary school place closer to home. A short time later, a placement became available at a school that was a seven-minute walk away.
Marie also helped Miss Jones with all of the meetings, emails and paperwork to get her son settled at the new school. She even helped secure a school uniform from the school’s pastoral team just in time for his first day at school.
“I’m very happy, so grateful for Marie. I now feel safe in my home.”
What Marie has to say about what she did"I realised straight away that Miss Jones was going to need more support from us than usual.
She was moving from fully furnished temporary accommodation with absolutely nothing but clothes for herself and her nine-year-old son. She was understandably overwhelmed and worried as she has no friends, family or support network.
I would always encourage any of our tenants who are experiencing hardship or need support to get in touch to see what help or advice we can offer."
Remember, if you're struggling, we're here to support you. You can call us on 0345 60 20 540 or get in touch with our Money Advice Team.
