Our team is now supporting Clive after missed opportunities left him with a range of serious problems. CAEE Blog.
Clive* first came to us as a client in July 2024. His story is one of missed opportunities to receive the support he needed when he really needed it.
Vicki Webb is a Volunteer Adviser at Citizens Advice Epsom and Ewell.
After losing his wife some years earlier Clive struggled with bereavement and lost his well-paid job. In striving to provide for his children, he started to build up credit card debt.
His life became harder still when he was the victim of a hit-and-run road accident. The crash exacerbated a previous shoulder problem and severely impacted his mobility and ability to work. Tragedy struck again when he lost his son to Covid-19.
By the time he came to us at Citizens Advice, he was living in his daughter’s flat and had several significant health conditions. His mental health was poor and he had debts totalling over £40,000 spread across nine different financial institutions. He has since had to move into shared accommodation further diminishing his quality of life.
Imagine a different story where there were fewer missed opportunities.
A story where Clive was offered bereavement counselling when his wife died and he had been able to retain his job and support his family.
Or one where credit card companies’ due diligence had questioned his financial position and signposted him for financial advice (from Citizens Advice for example) which might have halted his spiral into debt.
Or one where he had received prompt medical attention after his accident which might have resolved his shoulder problem and left him with the capability to continue working, enhancing both his physical and mental health.
Instead, Clive came to us at a point when, having endured so much, it was too late for any of this. However over time we have worked with him to alleviate the circumstances he found himself in. And with considerable perseverance, we have been able to get almost all his debt written off.
This is helping but without the missed opportunities this could have been a very different and altogether better story.
*not his real name