Case Study: Louise's Story

Louise was pregnant and came to The Single Access Point for help with housing. She was living at her Mum’s in the family home but her Mum was planning on moving away to a different area to be with her new partner. Her Mum’s partner had made it clear that she wasn’t welcome to live with him and she was concerned about where her and her baby would live. She had limited contact with her Dad who had his own mental health problems and wasn’t in a stable situation to accommodate Louise and a baby.

Although Louise left school at an early age, without qualifications she had managed to gain work and had held down a job for a year, but with her due date fast approaching she was unsure how she would financially manage while she was off work with her baby. To ensure that she still received an income while she was off work we recommended she speak to her employer or Citizens Advice Bureau to find out what she was entitled to.

The Single Access Point confirmed that her Mum would be moving out of the area and discussed with her Mum the possibility of the landlord changing her private rented tenancy into her daughter’s name and applying for assistance through the Local Housing Allowance that she would be entitled to through Charnwood Borough Council Benefits Department.

We provided a practical session for Louise on the realities of living on her own to prepare her for what to expect; including the setting up of utilities, how to read meters, and how to budget all the costs that are associated with renting.

Assisting Louise’s Mum to support her daughter meant this led to the Mum’s tenancy being signed over to Louise, her Mum acting as a guarantor and furniture remaining in the house so that Louise would not have to re-furnish the accommodation. To ensure that the tenancy was maintained we referred her to the specialist Teenage Parent Worker within the Housing Related Support Service at The Bridge.

• Charity Number: 1050596
• Company Number: 03114996