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Real life experiences - case studies
Tina - Sheffield
Key issue: Critical Illness
Tina lives with her husband and two children in Sheffield. Two years ago she suffered a serious brain haemorrhage. The consequences of her illness, which was completely unexpected, were devastating.
In order to care for Tina and the children her husband had to leave his job. But when he tried to claim benefits he was told that he wasn't entitled and would have to wait 10-16 weeks before they would be given any money at all. They said he had made himself voluntarily unemployed. This advice was wrong.
For four months the family had no income at all except for a small amount of Child Benefit and Tax Credit. They didn't receive Housing Benefit, although entitled to it, and their rent wasn't being paid. They sunk deeper and deeper into debt.
The family were struggling to survive on less than £50 a week and the strain was beginning to show. One of their neighbours even phoned the council alleging the children were dirty and neglected. But when social services arrived they soon decided the allegations were inaccurate and that the family just needed some help. They were put in touch with the Family Support Unit (FSU) who helped with food parcels and Home Start, who were able to offer some support.
The lowest time was Christmas: they did not have money for presents or food for Christmas dinner. The children couldn't even have sweets. But through the help of the FSU Tina and her husband still managed to enjoy Christmas.
Tina's situation has improved now. Her husband is back in work and they still receive support from Home Start, who help with jobs around the house and taking the children to the park when Tina is unwell. But the debt is still a major concern and the family still has some way to go before it's back on track.
Anne - Northern Ireland (West)
Key issue: Benefits Trap
Anne is a lone parent living in Northern Ireland with her ten-year-old son Brendan. She left school at 16 without any qualifications and had her son two years later. At 20, she started working in a youth centre and gained a youth work qualification.
For two years the work was regular and stable but then the centre's funding ran out and she was employed on a week to week basis.
"From one week to the next we didn't know whether we had a job or not."
And, if she claimed benefits on the weeks she wasn't required to work, it would take weeks before any money would come through.
"I was the only one there with a child; I was the only one there with a house... it was no good for you because I knew I would have had to wait an extra couple of weeks waiting for me brew to come in..."
Eventually that job finished completely, and Anne did everything she could to keep off benefits and out of poverty. Sometimes she was doing two, three and, at times, even four jobs to make ends meet.
"I was doing the three jobs and it was grand but then I wasn't seeing the wain, you know my mammy had the wain constantly."
Eventually Anne decided to return to caring for her son full-time, even if it meant living on benefits.
But because her Working Families Tax Credit had been miscalculated when she was working, she fell into arrears. She also has an outstanding Social Fund loan - and amounts to cover both debts are now taken at source from her Income Support.
She says she is happier living on benefits although money is still extremely tight. She feels that her son's education is suffering because she cannot afford to buy him the computer that he needs to do his homework.
Anne's main support is her mother and sister. She is doing a course at the local college on two nights a week when her sister looks after Brendan. Anne hopes this course will enable her to get a job with decent pay and working hours.
Michelle - Northern Ireland (Belfast)
Key issue: Housing
Michelle, her partner Mark, and her four children live in a private rented house in Belfast. Getting a public sector house, she says, would make the biggest difference to her life, because almost half of their income currently goes on rent.
Michelle worked as a home help before she and Mark started living together. The job involved irregular hours, seven days a week, caring for several different people, and was very stressful. At the time, she had only three children and found her long hours meant she rarely ever saw them.
"I was just exhausted. I was literally coming home at 4 o'clock, picking the kids up, making the tea, trying to do washing, trying to do housework, and going to bed at ten o'clock and getting up at five the next morning, trying to get the kids up about 6 to get back out again."
When she met Mark, who also works long hours, she gave up her job and had her fourth child. Mark takes home on average £220 a week to feed the six of them.
Michelle has had personal difficulties too - her ex-husband was violent and the break up difficult, leaving her depressed and distraught. She was on her own, looking after three young boys, two with behavioural problems, and just couldn't cope. She tried to take her own life.
But social services got her through. She was offered a family support worker who came for a few hours each week - and gave her some respite.
"It made a big difference to my life. It really did. I got myself back on track."
Michelle is supposed to receive maintenance from her ex-husband but rarely gets it. It's taken into account however when working out her Tax Credit so she's constantly left out of pocket. The family struggles to make ends meet.
Michelle would like to work again but she says until they get social housing she just can't afford to.
Jean - London
Key issue: Childcare
"I do not want my boys to end up in a home. I do not want my boys to lack anything, which is what is happening now...If we could get someone to help us, we would be very, very grateful."
Jean lives with her two boys aged 13 and five in Brixton, south London. She had worked all her life until two years ago when she was made redundant.
For Jean childcare is the key issue to finding a job. She does want to work but can't find any jobs offering work between school hours. In the past, she has been taken to task by the son's headmaster for turning up late to collect him. She needs a job that will allow her to pick up her children from school on time.
Two months ago, a cousin told her about a jobseekers' course in a local community centre. Jean got accepted and found it helped. But at the centre, she met many single parents in exactly the same position - finding it hard to find flexible part-time jobs which would allow them both to work and look after their children.
Jean has not been able to afford to take her two boys on holiday for the past three years. She adopted her eldest son from the care of Lambeth Social Services.
"He keeps saying, 'Mummy, if you do not take us on holiday, do you know something? You should let me go back to Lambeth'. I said, 'No. I adopted you to challenge the Lord that I could do it. I have been doing a great job with you for the past eight years and I am not going to back out'."
John - Hove
Key issue: Bereavement
John lives in a two-bed council house in Hove with his two children, George (7) and Daevid (13). When his wife died in 1999 John not only had to learn how to care for the boys himself but also had to prove to social services that he was capable of being a lone parent.
He used to work as a gardener and tree surgeon but when he stopped working to look after his wife, the family's income plummeted.
They are now living on around £150 per week.
Daevid was having a hard time at school and was taunted by other children over his mum's death. He lashed out and faced expulsion. There was further tension between him and his brother. It was difficult for the family to cope after the loss of their mum.
Social services put John in touch with Fun in Action, a voluntary and community group that arranges befrienders to provide support for families. For the last three years George and Daevid have had their own separate befrienders and John thinks it's a practical service that has helped keep the family together.
"We are all in the driving seat and it goes along at our speed. It's been great for the two boys and has really given me support."
Daevid talks to his befriender about things that he is unable to say to his dad. John says he's not threatened and can see the benefit. "I have seen what it has done for him. He is really happier in himself. He can see another side of life and know what's out there."
The same is true for George. John says,
"I can't really afford to take the kids out, So even the simple things, like going on a train with his befriender, gives George a thrill. I avoid going to the shopping centre with the kids because with me it's 'look but don't buy'. But George's befriender goes with him and he just wants to go up and down the escalators."
Because John wants to avoid debt at all costs, he refuses to borrow money, even from the Social Fund. The family does not even possess an oven. So things like computers are just a distant dream. In the meantime he uses his gardening skills growing vegetables on his allotment.
To make ends meet John has sold the truck he used for his gardening work, even though he knows that it would be useful for getting back to work. But he is still optimistic.
John survives on his wits, his love for his kids and the support of two befrienders from an organisation that itself is struggling to survive.
As for the future, that's simple, "I want to live long enough to see my children grow up."
About the feedback events
We held six feedback events around the UK, involving people with direct experience of poverty (as well as local policy makers and service providers) to ensure our proposals are informed by the reality of life on a low income.
| Date: | Location: |
|---|---|
| February 2006 | London |
| March 2006 | Glasgow |
| April 2006 | Liverpool |
| April 2006 | Sheffield |
| April 2006 | Belfast |
| April 2006 | Cardiff |
