A helping hand

Last year our Financial Wellbeing team supported residents to access over £800,000 in unclaimed benefits, grants, and challenges to benefit decisions. The team offer free one to one advice to help residents maximise their income and can make referrals for specialist support through Citizens Advice and debts charities. In April 2023 the team supported a Phoenix resident to access an annual benefits increase of £10,450 a year and a backdated payment of £4,850 in Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. The resident would like to remain anonymous but shares their experience in the hope that other residents will seek help and support.

It was a difficult time for me. I was struggling to save money to pay my bills and I worried that I wasn’t going to be able to keep on top of my rent payments. Both my GP and Phoenix supported me to access Foodbank vouchers so that I could save as much as possible to cover everything. It was a worrying time.

The Financial Wellbeing team were very reassuring and kept me updated throughout. They made sure that the process was easy for me to understand, and I came into The Green Man a few times to go through everything. The claim application took a while to get accepted, but the advisor kept on chasing on my behalf and let me know what was happening through texts and phone calls. 

As a result of the work of the Financial Wellbeing Advisor, I was awarded full Pension Credit and Housing Benefit as I had not been getting the full amount I was entitled to. This support has made a big difference to my life, and I am very thankful for the hard work the team put in. If you’re struggling, it’s so important to ask for help and not struggle in silence. Every bit of help can make a difference and I would recommend the Phoenix Financial Wellbeing service.

The festive season can bring additional financial worries for many. For advice and to book a one-to-one appointment with the team, call 0800 0285 700 or email financial.wellbeing@phoenixch.org.uk