Christi’s story

St Helens based single mother of one Christi was facing a daunting array of challenges. Her health issues, including a foot operation that she was awaiting, made it increasingly difficult to maintain her part-time job. Because of compounding issues, she was struggling with low-income, budgeting, and managing a host of other financial responsibilities.

Feeling overwhelmed, Christi sought help from the Mind & Money Programme via Citizens Advice St Helens. She needed assistance with Child Maintenance, rent arrears, her child’s Child Trust Fund account, and even dealing with the TV license. Additionally, she was hoping to secure funding for a new cooker and washing machine.

How did the Mind & Money Programme help?

  • TV License: We contacted the TV licensing authority and successfully registered Christi as not requiring a TV license. This resulted in a refund of the license fee she had paid for the year.
  • Child Maintenance: Upon contacting Child Maintenance, we discovered that Christi had not received any payments from her ex-partner. We promptly requested a Collect and Pay arrangement.
  • Cooker and Washing Machine: An application was submitted to the Retail Trust for funding to replace Christi’s old appliances. The application was approved, and Christi was awarded a new cooker.
  • Child Trust Fund: Christi was concerned about her ex-partner’s access to her son’s Child Trust Fund. We advised her on how to become the registered contact, ensuring that she would have full control over the account until her son turned 16.

Where are they now?

Through our combined efforts, we were able to make significant progress in addressing Christi’s challenges.

Christi can now prepare nutritious meals for herself and her son. While the washing machine from the Retail Trust was still pending, we were confident in our ability to explore alternative funding options if necessary.

Furthermore, we confirmed that Christi’s rent was being fully covered by her Universal Credit housing element, providing her with one less financial worry.

As for the Child Maintenance Service, we are currently awaiting a decision regarding the Collect and Pay arrangement. We are hopeful that this will soon be resolved, providing Christi with additional financial stability.

Christi’s journey has been a testament to the the importance of seeking support. With our assistance, she has taken significant steps towards overcoming her challenges and building a brighter future for herself and her child.

Get in touch

Know someone feeling overwhelmed by financial responsibilities? We help those in the Liverpool city region (St Helens, Liverpool, Halton, Sefton and Knowsley) with issues such as energy bill debt, grant applications, food vouchers, budgeting help and more.

Contact our team on 0151 706 0113 or hello@thewo.org.uk to be referred for assistance. You can find out more about the Mind & Money Programme here.