As the cost of living crisis worsens and more and more people find themselves in a challenging financial situation, the Auriga team are talking to increasing numbers of people in desperate situations every day. We all read the headlines and see the news, and it can be easy to forget the real people behind the stories, so when our CEO Jill Wheeler spent the day with the delivery teams this week, the tragic, personal stories behind the crisis became a saddening reality. Jill picks up the story:

“This week I have spent time with our delivery teams, seeing applications to the schemes we deliver first-hand, and it has been truly enlightening and also quite shocking.

Picture this:

You’re in your early twenties and you’re an only parent, the one person who has been a constant in your life and who you have lived with your whole life has died, quite unexpectedly. 

You are an only child and the only remaining relative. 

As a single person under 25, you can no longer afford to stay in the property your parent rented from the council. 

You are only eligible for a reduced rate of Universal Credit due to your age.

You have no money to pay for your loved one’s funeral and no idea how to organise a funeral.

You have lost your only living relative and you are grieving. 

And you now have nowhere to stay, very little means to support yourself or pay your bills, and no idea how to manage. You are completely on your own, with no one who
understands or cares. 

This is just one example of the cases I have heard over the last couple of days and I don’t mind admitting that I’ve been moved to tears.

No one should ever be in this situation. No one should ever be left alone with an extremely limited budget, no one to turn to, mental health issues and mounting debts.

What I’ve learned is that every person who applies to the schemes, which we operate on behalf of our partners, never expected to be in the situation they’ve ended up in.

They’ve hit a run of bad luck, had prolonged ill health, been scammed, gone through a life changing event, the list goes on. They didn’t expect this, plan for it or even have the ability or means to work their way out of it.

The struggle is real. It affects all demographics.  It is very sad that there are so many people that society has ‘overlooked.’

So, on behalf of Auriga, a huge ‘Thank You’ to our partners, whose grant programmes support those who have nowhere else to turn. We are so very proud to serve you and your beneficiaries. Wishing you all a very happy and healthy festive season.”

#partnershipworking #costoflivingcrisis #thestruggleisreal #ukgovernment #povertyaction