About
Real Stories
“The foodbank was a lifesaver.” Your support is helping us to change lives.
How we helped Theo*
Theo attended the foodbank in May 2025. At the time he had recently lost his
job, was struggling significantly with his mental health and was going through a
divorce. Due to these circumstances he was also struggling financially.
Theo’s financial difficulty had led to arrears with council tax, energy bills, water
and credit card debt.
Theo was supported by the foodbank advisers with income maximisation and
helped with applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Although he has
not yet received an outcome to his application, it is expected that this will
increase his income by £73.90 per week. He is also currently being supported
with applying for a work capability assessment which is expected to increase his
income by an additional £423.27 per month.
Furthermore, Theo was referred to our energy team where he was provided with
advice on general budgeting, money saving and energy efficiency in the home to
reduce utility bills. Additionally, he was referred to the debt team and was
advised on options for dealing with his debts. His debts were placed on hold
whilst waiting for an outcome to his benefit applications. Once an outcome is
received about his benefit applications, if successful it will allow him to set up
repayments to deal with his debts. He will be supported by his debt adviser
throughout this process.
More recently, Theo was referred to our grants team at North Yorkshire Citizens
Advice & Law Centre for support with applying for grants for the children’s
school uniforms. Overall the support from the foodbank and the foodbank
advisers has helped Theo manage his short term financial difficulty, and also
hopefully improve things for him long term.
*Name changed
How we helped The Harris Family*
*Name changed
bank during a period of acute financial hardship. Despite receiving Universal
Credit, they struggled to meet essential costs including rent, food, and utilities.
Due to private renting they had high rental costs which were unaffordable.
The family was also managing multiple debts and had recently contacted the
National Debtline to initiate a breathing space arrangement. Compounding their
vulnerability, Ms Harris was pregnant and unable to access statutory maternity
pay due to her employment status. They felt like their world was crumbling
under their feet and had no one or nowhere to turn to.
We delivered a tailored package of advice and practical support to stabilise the
family’s situation, which included guiding them through the application
processes for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) and Council Tax Reduction
(CTR) to help bridge the gap between their housing costs and benefit
entitlements.
Working together with the food bank, we facilitated access to emergency food
support. As it was their first time attending the food bank, we explained how the
food bank works and invited them to attend again if needed. We also provided
energy-saving tips and guidance on tariff reviews to reduce household bills, and
submitted a Priority Services Register (PSR) request to ensure utility protections.
An application for the Household Support Fund (HSF) was made the following
month for them to receive support towards their energy costs resulting in a one
off financial gain of £147. We explained eligibility for Maternity Allowance and
Healthy Start Vouchers, offering links and tools to begin the claims process. We
shared information on registering for social housing and signposted them to the
British Dental Association Benevolent Fund, recognising the partner’s
professional background. Finally, we connected the family with NYLAF for
ongoing financial support.
The Harris family told us they received immediate relief from the support, and
gained clarity about the financial support available to them. They began the
application process for housing and council tax support, and Ms Harris was able
to explore maternity benefits she hadn’t previously considered. The advice
helped them feel less isolated and more equipped to navigate the complex
systems affecting their well-being.