Ms. Jones’s story
Ms Jones has worked in the same job as a carer within a care home for 20 years and loves her job. She and her partner had their own home and shared it with their two daughters. Another baby was on the way. A serious car accident was the catalyst for the relationship breakdown between Ms Jones and her long-term partner and shortly after the incident, her partner was unable to cope and moved out of the family home.
Ms Jones went though most of the pregnancy and birth alone. Ms Jones reduced her hours and began to really struggle on a reduced income. While she managed to cover the essentials, there was nothing left over for unexpected events such as home repairs, or extra necessities for her children.
The last straw
The leak in Ms Jones kitchen roof got worse and water was beginning to drip down the walls and into the electrics. She was assigned a housing support worker who put her in touch with The Care Workers Charity.
“My Housing Support Worker from Shelter Cymru found out about the charity for me and helped me with the application. I felt anxious and my pride made me question whether I should apply, but my Housing Support Worker encouraged me to. Because I was working and had a mortgage, I didn’t have many options open to me. I could never have afforded the roof repairs myself and was considering abandoning our home, with all our memories, and going on the list for a Council house as I simply had no idea what to do.”
Repairs and relief
We were able to assist Ms Jones by paying for the repairs to the roof and provide her with an allowance over the course of six months, enabling Ms Jones to take her children on outings and give them experiences they would not otherwise have had.
“I no longer have to worry about the rain leaking or the electrics or how I am going to solve the problem. It’s such a big relief. The first payment of the monthly allowance is due any day and we have been making plans together about how to spend it. With the first payment we have already planned a trip to the zoo together. My nine-year-old daughter has also asked if we could have a takeaway meal as she has never had one. She is also looking forward to going swimming with her friends and going to McDonald’s for a burger afterwards. In the past, she has been unable to join them.”
Looking to the future
We caught up with Ms Jones since we awarded her a grant and asked her about how she was getting on, and if she had any plans and dreams for the future.
“If you’d told me a few years ago when everything was going well that I would be in this position, I wouldn’t have believed it. But it can happen to anyone – none of us know what’s around the corner. As my youngest gets older, I hope to increase my hours again to improve our standard of living and quality of life. I will also be improving my qualifications and working towards QCF 5. My family can’t thank you enough for your help and support. It is so good to know that there are people out there willing to help and support others in this way.”
How we can help you
Our confidential grants service is here to help you on your rainy day by preventing you from facing financial hardship alone.
If you are working in or retired from the care sector and are experiencing financial hardship brought upon by an unexpected or sudden drop in income, ill health, injury, bereavement, changes in living circumstances or a relationship breakdown then we may be able to offer you support.
Please visit our grants page to find out more and apply.