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Welcome to the Changing Realities archive. This is where you can search and read our diary entries about the realities of getting by on low incomes.
▼ Found 181 entries
21 Apr 2025
Q&A

Ana Q

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

I have experience of getting grant from my local council. I applied for the white goods when transferred from my temporary home to permanent home by my local council. They provided me small washing machine and wanted to provide a basic cooker but I denied as was not fit for the purpose. Apart from that I received few times cash support from post office via showing council letter to post office during Covid 19 school closing times.

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20 Apr 2025
Q&A

Ed I

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

Received council help few times as a form of shopping voucher during corona time in order to provide hot food to children. Besides that few years back got some discount on my council tax bill when my partner lost job due to her illness. Also received one time support during living cost crisis time.

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20 Apr 2025
Q&A

Celia I

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

Hey,

My experience of receiving help from my local council might be slightly out of date now, but for what it's worth........

In August/September 2023 my teenage daughter and I were moving from a women's refuge into our new council flat. We had been collecting secondhand furniture etc during the previous six months, and storing it in a lock up belonging to a relative, so we weren't starting with absolutely nothing.

My support worker from Leeway applied on my behalf to the local Assistance Scheme. It was quite a hefty form, and I needed to submit bank and UC statements as proof of what I was saying. As I recall it took about 3 weeks to come through. We received a secondhand washer, new freezer, and new cooker. Also a wardrobe. We also got £150 in grocery vouchers. This is because I don't have a prepayment meter for my electric, otherwise I'd have got it for that (no gas in the flat). It was very helpful indeed, but long winded. You needed to be quite computer literate to complete the form, so this could be difficult for someone without those skills. In fact I have helped others with the form since.

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19 Apr 2025
Q&A

Mollie U

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

When we first moved, we spent all our money on carpet, and had nothing left over for white goods, (fridge/freezer) or beds for our children. We applied to the local authority to see if they could help. I was told I would get a call back from someone in the Wellbeing team but never did. When I tried to chase it up, I went around in circles being passed to various departments and no one seemed able to help. We ended up receiving support from an organisation which was referred to us by our health visitor. We are really grateful for that referral, because three years on the beds are still being used and are very sturdy.

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19 Apr 2025
Q&A

Zayyan H

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

Hi, thank you for the big question of the week. I say, invade pretty Council which they provide all sorts of what. Phoned, although they found this time around is just informally without Chaya, no cash. And it was totally reduced which wasn't even enough for me and the family. So I don't know what's happening around.

And that and apart from that, I think there should be a universal space where we can get all information because I don't really get information. I don't know what that place is to apply for Grant from. I don't know what to do next. I don't know where to go through and about the also found I found out from a friend, not not like there is a centralised place I can get.

It's from in my for my castle. So I think that needs to be done and more grants should be hard for people to be able to apply with because the cost of living is not going down, I don't think it's going down anytime soon and the money available is not even enough for the family. Thank you. Bye.

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18 Apr 2025
Q&A

Cara A

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

I haven’t actually applied for help from the council, even though there have been times I really needed support. As an asylum seeker, I just assumed I wouldn’t be eligible. Everything is so complicated when you’re in the system, there’s not much clear information, and you’re always worried about doing something wrong that might affect your case.

I’ve mostly relied on local charities and community groups when I’ve needed things like clothes or food. One time, my phone broke and I couldn’t afford to replace it, which made everything harder, especially staying in touch with my solicitor. Someone from a refugee support group helped me get a second-hand one, but I don’t think I would’ve managed on my own.

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18 Apr 2025
Q&A

Tasha B

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

I tried to apply, but the process was quite confusing. A lot of the information seemed to be aimed at people who already have settled status or are on certain benefits. I wasn’t sure if I was eligible, and it was hard to get a clear answer. I didn’t have all the documents they asked for, and I didn’t always understand the system. I ended up not getting the help in the end, which was really discouraging.

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18 Apr 2025
Q&A

Sandra L

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

Not at all, I am not aware of any help from the local council.

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18 Apr 2025
Diary

Bessie J

Let’s drop the pretence: Kemi Badenoch and her Tory allies aren’t safeguarding anything — they’re laying the groundwork for dismantling equality protections altogether, egged on by the reactionary grifters in Reform and the billionaire-funded media class that thrives on division.

This was never about “women’s spaces.” It’s a deliberate, strategic rollback of hard-won rights, using trans lives as a wedge to undermine the entire framework of equality legislation. And the current government, spineless and flailing, folds to it — not out of principle, but because they’re desperate to keep the right-wing press off their backs.

We’re watching the steady erosion of social progress, enabled by cowards, orchestrated by bigots, and cheered on by oligarchs who would rather we fight each other than notice their grotesque hoarding of wealth and power. There is no compromise to be made here — only resistance.

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18 Apr 2025
Q&A

Rudy G

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

My experience is Ok but is hard and difficult to find the proper support, normally they send you We cant support or We no available to dealing with your situation, is hard to received the proper support. In my case after many many tries I found the advisor to help me with my situation.

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17 Apr 2025
Q&A

Pippa A

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

Tôi không biết hội đồng địa phương có thể giúp gì cho tôi. Ai đó có thể giúp tôi nộp đơn không.

I don't know what the local council can do for me. Can someone help me apply?

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17 Apr 2025
Q&A

Elizabeth

What's your experience of trying to access support from your local authority / council like?

I haven’t applied for help before because I wasn’t really sure what support was available or how to go about it. I think part of the reason is that I don’t know where to start or who to ask. I’ve found it quite confusing, and it would be helpful if there was clearer information about what the council offers and how to access it. Thank you

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1 of 16

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