Veterans UK referred a client who had been medically discharged after sustaining injuries in service. The client was married with two children and another on the way. He was living in married quarters and was starting to get into rent arrears. He had no income or savings. The client had been served notice to quit his service accommodation within three months and the client did not have another housing option in place.
Within one week of his first visit, our Adviser had assisted him in making a successful claim for Employment and Support Allowance, a homelessness application, a successful registration with Gateway to Homechoice for social housing allocation and a successful claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. Our Adviser looked at the reason for the family’s banding on Gateway to Homechoice for social housing allocation. The Adviser identified what information needed to be changed to ensure the banding was correct and explained who to contact with a request that the change in the banding decision was made urgently. The client was advised on how to negotiate an extension to stay in his service accommodation until his family had suitable accommodation.
Citizens Advice Mid Suffolk helped the client resolve an error that led to his banding being downgraded and an error that led to his Housing Benefit being suspended. Our Adviser contacted the military in order to try to delay the possession action until alternative accommodation was available. When the client found another property our Adviser contacted the solicitors acting in the possession claim to ask them to suspend their claim until the date that the client was able to move into new accommodation. This meant that the client did not have to go to court and was able to stay in his property until he could move.
Our Adviser helped the client to apply for grants from charitable organisations supporting veterans for furniture and carpets for the family’s new home, as his accommodation with the military was furnished, so he owns little furniture. Five months after the client was initially referred to us, the family, now increased by one baby boy, has moved into suitable accommodation. The client is settling in to civilian life.
