Client’s need is key focus of Citizens Advisers. New from Marian Anghileri
At Citizens Advice one of our main objectives is to focus on our client’s needs. Last autumn Rosebery Housing referred an older person to the CAEE Money Advice team. Marian Anghileri is a specialist money adviser at Citizens Advice Epsom & Ewell. (2 minutes)
She was a vulnerable person with a number of health issues and was suffering social isolation with perceived undiagnosed learning needs.
Unfortunately it is not unusual for older clients to manage for many years with severe learning needs. If our current understanding of such issues had been available they could have been so much better managed.
Difficult issues
These clients may avoid dealing with issues they find difficult; they can be vulnerable to scams and to others seeking to take advantage of them. This can mean they lead ‘smaller’ lives as they do not have the support to take advantage of opportunities or develop or pursue interests.
Rosebery wanted us to the client with repaying sizeable rent arrears. Her focus however was on moving from her first floor flat to a ground floor flat and to have more social support.
In the following weeks we worked extensively with the client and kept in touch with the Rosebery team.
We helped the client across several issues including benefits, budgeting, debts and her liability for debts. I’m pleased to say this included a successful complaint to the Energy Ombudsman on her behalf.
With our support, our client repaid all the rent arrears. We liaised with her GP and the relevant Rosebery teams and helped her complete medical questionnaires. As a result, she has been able to move to the ground floor home she had dreamed about where the option for further support is available.
This was cause for some satisfaction. The client is delighted with the outcome and her finances are in a much better state.
Also by Marian: Cost of living is a cause of significant extra anxiety
More about CAEE Money Advice and Debt services.