Ann (not her real name) is in her thirties. She was working full time and had a home - but then her life fell apart. She got sick and lost her job. The rising rent was unaffordable but there was worse to come. She explains, “I have an auto immune related illness which causes pain and reduces mobility. The house had mould, which made me even more ill. And I was also the victim of domestic violence - so I had to get away from him. I had nowhere to go.”
“Whitechapel Centre helped a lot”
She adds: “The council referred me to The Whitechapel Centre to get advice. They supported me so I could access benefits and apply for properties. Now I’m in private rented because my PIP was reassessed. The Whitechapel Centre helped a lot, seeing me regularly and supporting me with council tax, food parcels and providing a social network as I was getting isolated.
“I’ve now started a book club as part of the women’s group at the Whitechapel Centre drop in and I’m helping in the cooking group too.
“Everything is stable now so I can focus on my health. Stress was making the pain worse. The support has been really helpful and I would have struggled without The Whitechapel Centre.”
