When life takes a challenging turn people need immediate support as well as help finding a longer-term solution. Our community-based team visited a family of four living in precarious temporary accommodation – a touring caravan borrowed from a friend. The family used to live in a static caravan on the same site couldn’t keep up their payments; they had been in the borrowed caravan for more than a year but didn’t know how long they would have use of it.
When they visited, our adviser found the caravan was completely unsuitable as family accommodation: with just one double bed, the children were sleeping on sofas. The parents were struggling to afford to heat the van and feed the family and when colder weather hit, they found themselves unable to manage both the electricity and the gas. At the time of their home visit they were in emergency credit on their prepayment meter.
Their energy adviser found the van had a built-in gas heater which the family were supplementing with a portable electric heater – both of which pose serious risks in such a confined space. They gave vital advice about the importance of ventilation, using a carbon monoxide monitor, and the potential fire hazards of these types of heaters. They also gave the family practical advice about using thermal curtains, rugs, and thicker bedding – simple low-cost ways to help improve their living conditions.
To reduce their immediate financial worries their adviser accessed household support funds towards their electricity debt, so they could get on with their day-to-day lives with a bit less worry. For help over the longer term, the adviser then signposted them to Citizens Advice to support their ongoing application for discretionary housing allowance, and for help finding more suitable accommodation for this young family.
