Elainor* was referred to our tenancy support team after falling behind on her rent. Although she was in work and receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP), she was struggling to make ends meet. Lisa from our tenancy support team worked with Elainor to explore her bank statements and discovered that she was being asked to send money to a family member in prison to fund drug use for him and other prisoners. Lisa referred her to our safeguarding and domestic abuse team, and they worked with the police and the bank to identify that she was financially exploited, which she was susceptible to because of her mild learning disabilities. Lisa also discovered that Elainor was gambling to try and recoup some of the money lost to her family member.

Elainor was eligible for Universal Credit, but hadn’t been receiving it due to a challenging relationship with another family member, who was withholding access. With Lisa’s help, the account was reset and reinstated, and she’s now receiving the support she needs to manage her rent and have enough money to live on after her essential bills have been paid.

Elainor said: "Before this I wasn't even aware of the tenancy support or safeguarding team. But I'm so grateful for Lisa's support and patience, I love her to bits for how she's helped me."

Lisa and Elainor’s work together won’t stop just because Elainor’s in a better position – we’ll continue to support her, alongside our safeguarding and domestic abuse team, external agencies and the probation service. Lisa’s next focus is supporting Elainor into a more secure job, supporting her work focus appointments to help her maximise her earnings.

To find out more about how our tenancy support team can help you, click here.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.