Customer moves into settled home, secures finances and lands new job
23 May 2024
A2Dominion customer Thomas has spoken about the great support he’s received from our tenancy sustainment team - and he is one of thousands of customers they help on a yearly basis.
Thomas has thanked staff for the support he has received
TSOs have in-depth knowledge of local and central government support, such as universal credit. They also build strong relationships with local authorities and charities to ensure customers have access to the relevant schemes.
Thomas received support from colleagues to settle into his new home, stay on track with bills and secure a new job. He had been living in temporary accommodation and was in desperate need of help after suffering an accident that left him with two broken ankles.
After receiving a referral from a local authority, TSOs then supported Thomas with the move and to source essential household items, with successful applications made to charities for furniture and a cooker.
TSO’s also helped Thomas to get his finances in order. A successful application was made to Discretionary Housing Benefit for a month’s rent in advance. They also helped him to update his Universal Credit, set up payment plans for his utility bills and support a claim for council tax discounts – leading to a 45% reduction in his water bill.
Thomas said: “I can’t thank you enough for the help and advice you gave me with my new flat. I would have been scratching my head trying to navigate my benefits and bills without your help.
“Having a place to call home has changed me as a person and helped me move on from a difficult period in my life. The fact that I could pick up the phone and speak to someone who could help and advise me was brilliant.”
Thomas had been unable to work for some time due to his injury, but once he was ready to find a job again, he was referred to our employment team.
Employment adviser Yasmeen signed Thomas up to our employment programme, and helped him to update his CV, prepare for interview and look for a job. He was successful in gaining employment with a local restaurant, and now his confidence has grown, he is in the process of applying to the local Job Centre for a role as a work coach.
Thomas said: “Yasmeen made me feel very welcome and comfortable from the get-go. She laid out the programme during our first point of contact and explained in depth everything that the programme had to offer. I felt very calm and relaxed talking to Yasmeen as this was a whole new process for me.
He added: “I was very nervous about speaking about my disability to employers. Once I told Yasmeen about this, she helped me boost my confidence back by going through interview questions and scenarios. This really made me feel confident when I went to interviews.
“I thought Yasmeen was very professional in helping me find my feet again. If I ever needed to call her for advice she was always there to answer and guide me on things. Very easy to talk too. It's nice to see someone so passionate about their work and wanting to help people.”
