Case Study: Anna’s story, one of support and resilience.

Client profile 

Anna and her husband are of working age, one of them is employed and they have three children. They are living in temporary accommodation provided by Harlow Council. The family has lived in the property since mid 2024. She holds dual citizenship and Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme. They claim Universal Credit and Child Benefit for two children. They were struggling to make ends meet, had some debts and was not able to pay their energy bills in full.  

Reason the client needed advice 

Anna and her family were being supported by a local charity who referred her to our service. They received a water bill from Affinity Water for over £500, which was unaffordable. The bill covered a 12-month period, despite the family only being in the property for 2 months. They were asked to pay in full or in two instalments, both of which were unaffordable. 
Additionally, they reported spending around £100 per week on gas and electricity top-ups with their energy provider, which was causing financial strain. 

How we helped the client 

Anna was contacted initially by our UKPN Energy Adviser who carried a full exploration of the circumstances and issues, an energy assessment and provided with initial and practical energy advice, empowering Anna to take practical measures and improve her and her families energy management to save an average of £700 per year.  

With the help of our trained Adviser, we held a three way call with Affinity Water to explain the family’s temporary housing situation and limited ability to pay a large bill upfront. Affinity Water agreed to set up a monthly payment plan instead of the initial two-instalment option. The amount was made clear, making sure it was affordable for the household. The new arrangement allowed her to pay £50 per month.

Our Adviser also requested a LIFT (Low Income Fixed Tariff) form so that the family could be assessed for a potential low-income tariff, depending on total household income. 

A benefit check was offered but declined, as Anna did not have the full information needed about the household income. However, she was empowered to do a calculation online and come back to our Adviser if she had any issues with this. 

Further income maximisation advice was provided, including information about local support services: 

• The Bounty Club – affordable food scheme for low-income households. 

• School Uniform Exchange – low-cost uniforms available locally. 

• Energy efficiency advice  

Anna was informed about the possibility of getting a fuel voucher if she needed emergency support and to carry out a cost comparison with her energy provider to see if she could get a better deal. 

Outcomes 

Our Adviser supported Anna to get an affordable repayment plan with Affinity Water, reducing the amount requested upfront by £450. 

Through the overall income maximisation and energy advice: 

LIFT – annual expected saving £273.93 

Small energy measures – annual saving estimated £1,116 

School Uniform exchange (high school) – annual saving estimated £466.20 

School Uniform exchange (elementary school) – annual saving estimated £70 

Bounty club – annual saving estimated £3,328 

Mostly Anna felt relieved the debt would not be escalated to further actions by the creditor and that their overall financial situation would gradually improve by implementing all budgeting and energy saving measures. 

NB: Names and some details have been changed to protect our clients’ anonymity.