Parveen is a single mother living in Birmingham with her 12-year-old daughter. During pregnancy she was diagnosed with renal failure and has received dialysis treatment three times a week.

This, alongside being partially sighted and coping with learning difficulties, has made it difficult for Parveen to cope, especially with managing the home, understanding written documents and household bills. Parveen admitted she was not confident to go out alone, due mainly to being in a wheelchair and being partially sighted.

Parveen was referred to one of our Senior Welfare Advisors who spent extensive time with her to understand her personal circumstances and how she was coping with money. After gaining a comprehensive knowledge of Parveen’s situation, we were able to:

• Secure funding for a new bed to replace her daughter’s broken one, courtesy of the Severn Trent Trust Fund.
• Successfully appeal against the HMRC’s decision requesting that she pay back a lump sum of over £5,000 (2 years of overpayment and reinstated Tax Credits).
• Successfully claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) increase Parveen’s income by £139 per week.
• Review Parveen’s utility bills and identify she was eligible for Severn Trent Water’s ‘Big Difference’ Scheme; this allowed her to get a £300 discount off her annual water bill.
• Recommend a switch to a cheaper energy tariff using our Auriga Switch service.
• Make an extensive appeal to the local authority, which resulted in a dropped kerb being fitted outside Parveen’s house to allow her wheelchair access to cross the road safely.
• Successfully source £2,600 for a digital device to enhance Parveen’s vision, thanks to Auriga, Kidney Care UK, Eaton Fund, Independence at Home and the Kidney Patient’s Association. The device fits onto the arm of Parveen’s glasses and allows her to read, programme in recognition of products (such as medication and food), recognise faces, colours and even tell the time.

Our help has allowed her to manage financially, become more independent and share more experiences with her daughter. Such positive improvement in her quality of life and the benefits she has achieved is due to the value of our advice and intensity of interventions.

Auriga have been incredible from the start. They helped me with so much which I am truly grateful for.

I was told about the device that would help me be visually independent – never would I have expected this to happen. The device reads to me and I am able to go to the shops for simple things like milk.

I have been given a new lease of life.