Liane lives in temporary accommodation in a two-bed flat in Pimlico.  She is married with a three-year-old child and her husband is unemployed.  Liane had been unemployed for two years when she came to HELP in March 2007, but has previous work experience as a Data Analyst in the UK and an Office Administrator in France. 

Liane had completed a Degree in Sociology in France and was not currently in education or training at the time she approached HELP.  Her child was then 16 months old and she was claiming Income Support. 

Liane sought help to research a Foundation Degree in Public Administration and also a work placement in the housing sector.  She needed to find a crèche place for her child, which would allow her the time for study or a work placement.

The HELP Adviser was able to arrange a volunteering opportunity at The Neighbourhood Centre in the Harrow Road.  Liane was interviewed in June 2007 and was successful but couldn’t find suitable affordable childcare.  She managed to arrange this the following January, with the support of the HELP Adviser. 

A month later Liane started a Housing Foundation Certificate Level 2, with the £100 fee being paid through HELP’s Beneficiary Fund. 

Liane was offered the possibility of part-time paid work at The Neighbourhood Centre.  “I was very interested in the opportunity but I was worried about being able to cover my rent if I worked part-time,” Liane says.  The HELP Adviser liaised with a contact at Job Centre Plus (JCP) to book an appointment for a Better Off Calculation.

The JCP Adviser explained that the calculator is set for lone parents – and this is not Liane’s situation, so she did not find the necessary information.  The HELP Adviser explained about Working Tax Credit and the Discretionary Housing Fund payment that could be claimed through the project.

Liane was successful at interview and started work December 2008.  She received £100 in High Street Vouchers for showing that she had done 13 weeks paid work. 

Liane was the first client to benefit from the Discretionary Housing Payment negotiated by the HELP Adviser.  This covered six months full rent and provided £50 per week for a further six months in addition to the Housing Benefit allowance.  This support is a crucial bridge to people living in temporary accommodation, where market rents are so much higher than in the social housing sector.

In April 2009, we contacted Liane for an update.  “I’m enjoying my job,” she said.  “My employers are funding me to study for an accredited qualification in Project Management.  I’m planning to work full time in September 2009 when my child starts school.”