Forfutures helps Graham, who was about to be evicted, find a new home and get his life back on track

Graham was facing a life living on the streets after he was struggling to make ends meet while living in his two-bedroom house which he was renting privately.

He was only receiving £78 per month from his personal pension, and due to the “bedroom tax” his Housing Benefit didn’t fully cover his rent.

He wasn’t claiming any other benefits and was borrowing from his family to get by.

Graham had got into rent arrears and had been issued with an eviction notice by his landlord.

The team at forfutures – which works with people across Cheshire West and Chester who are facing homelessness – was able to step in and work with Graham on a long-term solution.

Robert Lloyd, a Homelessness Prevention Worker at Forfutures, spoke to Graham’s landlord and arranged for him to stay in the property for an extra three weeks until he could get back on track.

Robert then worked with Graham so he could take back control of his finances – applying for a Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) to cover the shortfall in his rent, along with an application for Universal Credit.

When it became clear that Graham was struggling to apply for alternative housing as he had no access to the internet, Robert spoke to West Cheshire Homes and requested assistance for Graham in bidding for properties.

He was accepted for a one-bedroom flat which was within his budget and was able to move in before he needed to leave his previous home.

Robert and Graham worked together to move all his priority bills to Direct Debit to help him manage his regular payments. He also attended a Work Capability Assessment, which will determine the amount of Universal Credit he will receive in the future.

Robert said: “Our main aim is to prevent homelessness before it happens, so it’s great that we were able to step in and help Graham before he was evicted from his home.

“The kind of support that we offer is vital for many people in our community who want to create new possibilities for themselves.

“It’s so rewarding to know that we’ve really made a difference to someone and helped them find a suitable, secure home.”