Real Stories

Laura’s Story

“I just couldn’t cope with the bills after my husband walked out on us, my daughters were always fed but I didn’t eat for days. I got a credit card to help pay bills and now I’m in debt I can’t pay back. Things started to get worse when my landlord threatened to evict us if I didn’t clear the rent I owed and for the first time ever, I turned to a Foodbank for help”

Laura and her daughters 9 and 4, visited the Foodbank for the first time late last year, she felt fearful about her family’s future. After her husband left the household she was struggling to manage the outgoings on her own. Laura works part-time in between school hours, which worked for the family when there were two incomes. Laura told us, her family had always been financially stable, she never thought she’d be in this situation. Now she faced higher outgoings than income and fell behind on rent, council tax and had unmanageable debts. When her landlord threatened eviction due to rent arrears, Laura lost hope and opened up to her daughters Primary school who referred her to Wimbledon Foodbank for emergency food. 

We are not just about food.  

• Our team helped her apply for Universal Credit w/ Housing & Child Element, Child Benefit and Council Tax Support to help her manage bills. 
• We helped Laura find grants to help pay for living essentials.
• We signposted Laura to South West London Law Centre to advise on renters legal rights and debts, they advised her to apply for Discretionary Housing Payment to help clear rent arrears and bridge the gap in her future rent payments and Council Tax Discretionary Reduction to help clear her Council Tax debts. 
• We signposted Laura to Christians Against Poverty to help create a payment plan for her other priority debts.

Laura chose to move her family from their 3 bed home and moved into a 2 bed that was more affordable. Her two daughters are sharing a room and the family are very happy.

• We signposted Laura to Dons Local Action for a free second-hand bunk bed for her daughters. 
• We found Laura a further grant to help pay for decorating materials for her new home.

Laura and her two daughters are no longer fearful about their future.

 

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Richard’s Story

“Without the foodbank, I don’t think I would be here today.”

Having worked in the police force for six years, followed by 12-years in the Royal Military Police, Richard, 49, from New Milton, had always considered himself fit and healthy. However, this all changed when a chest infection quickly developed into a heart condition and he suffered from two major strokes followed by 19 mini strokes, leaving him unable to work.

Richard’s situation deteriorated further when he separated from his wife and moved out of their family home, where, unfortunately due to this change of address his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was delayed. As a result of his serious heart condition Richard needs 35 tablets a day, but the cost of travelling to collect his prescriptions left him without enough money for food, and his local Citizens Advice Bureau referred him to the foodbank.

Although Richard admits he never expected to be in this situation, on arrival he was put at ease straight away. “The volunteers were fantastic, offering a chat and a shoulder to cry on. I suffer from depression as well and without the foodbank I don’t think I would be here today,” he said.

Richard looks forward to seeing his 10-year-old daughter every weekend but admits he has skipped meals on a few occasions so she can eat. He explains: “It’s a really bad situation that people have to decide whether they can feed themselves, feed their children or put the heating on. It’s a case of having to budget or having to go without.”

At the moment things are still tough for Richard, he’s on the waiting list for a heart transplant and will be on medication for the rest of his life, but he’s grateful that the foodbank is available if he ever needs some extra help.

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