The applicant was medically retired from her job as a nurse in 2016. She and her husband then started a café business, which went well to begin with. Unfortunately, she was then diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (joint hypermobility and susceptibility to dislocation). This means she is no longer able to work and her husband has to be her full-time carer. Debt issues resulting from the failure of the business mean the applicant needs to go bankrupt, but the fee for this is £680.

This lovely family of nine in our church, who have recently been granted asylum, are moving into an empty council flat. This is due to a circumstance in which they were made homeless, through no fault of their own. They are having to start from scratch and have nothing. One of the main items they are in need of now is a cooker.

T, a single man who is living alone, is unable to. work because of mental health issues, following an accident, and has a support worker. He recently had to move house because of a breakdown in the relationship between him and the home provider. The new place has a double bed frame, but no mattress and T cannot afford to buy one as his Employment and Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment have been stopped for re-assessment due to his move. This could take up to twenty weeks to be re-instated and meanwhile, T is sleeping on the floor.