Family A had large rent arrears and a court order in place. The payment plan had broken down, and the household was at real risk of eviction.
After sitting down with the tenant and listening to them, we uncovered a mix of issues affecting payments. The tenant’s partner had lost his job after a workplace injury, and the household’s benefits had dropped sharply including:
- The eldest son’s PIP was stopped, despite a severe, permanent brain injury (sustained at 16) and a two-year hospital stay.
- The middle son had autism, ADHD and dyspraxia, and since turning 16 his Disability Learning Allowance had ended. His PIP claim was also refused.
- The children’s school flagged that one daughter may have dyslexia and possibly autism.
The tenant felt overwhelmed. She worked 10 hours a week, had lost her partner’s wages, Carer’s Allowance and two PIP awards, and was caring for four children (three with disabilities) while also supporting her partner as he recovered.
To help stabilise the household and avoid homelessness, we put the following support in place:
Support and interventions
- Referred to Tenancy Support Service (TSS) for benefits help, advocacy and wider sustainment support.
- Referred to the TRS team to support the partner with employability, training and getting the right CSCS course.
- Applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to address the arrears and remove the immediate eviction risk.
- Referred to Citizens Advice (CAB) for specialist benefits advice and appeal support.
Outcomes
- DHP awarded: £3,310.76 paid, clearing the arrears in full and removing the threat of eviction.
- TSS stayed involved to support benefit appeals and wider needs, including:
–Signposted to Adult Social Care for a Carer’s Assessment (eldest son).
–Shared Good Life services to support social connection and reduce isolation.
–Kept the younger son’s PIP entitlement under review.
- CAB support helped reinstate and backdate the eldest son’s PIP. This increased the family’s Universal Credit housing element, which was also backdated and paid.
- The partner is now engaging well with TRS, exploring training and work, and has been put forward for Cohort 6 (with an interest in working with ForHousing).
The family is now in a much more stable position:
- Benefits are being paid correctly and at the appropriate levels.
- Rent arrears have been cleared, and the tenancy is no longer at risk.
- The household is engaging well with support services.
- Employment pathways are being actively explored.
Overall, by working together we prevented eviction, cleared the arrears, maximised income, and helped the family feel more secure for the long term.
