People We Help
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Here is a selection of real stories of people who received support from the PTBI:
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Mr H worked for 10 years in the egg distribution industry. Around ten years ago he was no longer able to work due to several health issues. He lives with his wife and there are family members living nearby. He receives benefits which only just cover his living costs and is grateful for the money from the PTBI which enabled him to buy a new washing machine and contribute to a new carpet for his living room.
Mrs H has been a beneficiary since 2018 after struggling with mounting debt repayment as unable to work due to chronic health condition and depression. The loss of her husband some years ago considerably reduced her weekly income resulting in mounting debts. In 2020 she appealed for helpto repay outstanding bills which the PTBI was able to help her with and after a visit from the welfare visitor in 2023, requested help to buy four new tyres for her car. Driving to see family locally is invaluable for mental well-being, particularly after the loss of her beloved pet dog earlier in the year.
Mr S has been a beneficiary since 2017. He lives alone but keeps in touch with some family members who live nearby. The welfare visitor visited early in 2023 and found his living conditions basic but manageable. He is waiting for new accommodation from the local council as his studio flat is to be demolished. He finds the grant from the PTBI is invaluable as it helps him maintain a car, which is vital for him to maintain contact with his son who has learning difficulties.
Mr G, a relatively young man, worked in the dairy industry but unfortunately was made redundant. Suffering from mental health issues, he appealed to the PTBI as he was in the process of looking for work but had rent arrears and was in danger of being evicted. The trustees agreed to pay off the arrears and soon after he was fortunate to find another job. This helping hand assisted him to get his life back on track.
Mr E has been a beneficiary since 2014 after the death of his partner. He worked in the provision trade for 48 years until his retirement. He appealed for help as he was struggling to cope with his regular bills as well as occasional unexpected expenses such as a new boiler, with which the PTBI assisted him. In recent months Mr E’s health has deteriorated considerably and he relies on family to do shopping etc. The grant from the PTBI also helps him pay for a cleaner as he can no longer manage the housework himself.
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Mr. G. needed assistance with the purchase of an electric wheelchair. He had suffered spinal injuries following an accident at work and was no longer able to work as a lorry driver for a local cheese plant. The PTBI helped with the chair purchase and various Council issues which gave Mr. G. a certain amount of independence. Mr. G.’s wife was his carer and he had two school-aged children and found it difficult to manage on his disability benefits. Our Trustees decided to make him a beneficiary and he started receiving quarterly payments plus a summer and winter bonus.
Later when Mr. G. received Industrial Injury Compensation and his wife was able to go out to work, he was no longer eligible for regular payments from the PTBI, but he has subsequently been awarded a one-off payment to help with cost of replacing the gearbox in his car.
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When Mr. O. was admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke, we were asked to provide some funding to cover the cost of taxi fares for his elderly wife who had very bad arthritis and was unable to use public transport to visit him. The PTBI made a contribution and when Mr. O. was discharged our Welfare Visitor assessed their situation. The couple had a modest income and were having to pay for help in the flat and also continued to need using taxis for shopping trips. The Trustees agreed to award quarterly payments plus a summer and winter bonus. These payments continued until Mr. O. died and his widow then became a beneficiary, which enabled her to continue living in their flat and pay for the help she needed.
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Mr. D. aged 38 was referred to the PTBI by Leicester Charity Link for help with the purchase of a washing machine and a fridge freezer. He had been forced to give up work at an egg packing factory because of failing eyesight and was subsequently registered blind. He was trying to manage on Incapacity benefit and lower rate DLA. The PTBI made a donation of £525 to cover the cost of the appliances.
A welfare visit revealed that Mr. D. was living in a small 1 bed-roomed flat in very cramped conditions and was very depressed. In addition to everyday expenses he was paying child support money to the mother of his 7 year old son. Finances were very difficult. He was desperately in need of a holiday, so the PTBI agreed to pay 50% of a week’s holiday to be organised by the Leicester Charity.
The PTBI Welfare Visitor wrote to the local council and the housing association in support of Mr. D’s application to be moved into a 2 bed-room property, so that his son could stay at weekends. He was eventually re-housed and we helped with the cost of new carpets. The PTBI have also helped with payment of T.V. licence and phone bills.
Mr. D. now receives summer and winter payments, which enables him to buy birthday and Christmas presents for his son and to have an annual holiday.
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Mrs. T. is a lady in her nineties who worked for a local bacon curing and trading company for many years and in 2010 she became a regular beneficiary of the PTBI. She lives in sheltered accommodation and pays to have fortnightly frozen meals delivered. Reading has always been one of her pleasures, but sadly in 2011 her eyesight deteriorated suddenly due to AMD. Mrs. T. has been visited by one our trustees and we are keeping in touch to see if there is any other help she needs.
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When Mrs. G. retired from the food trade she and her son bought a house in a small rural village. She took out a loan to have essential alterations done and was also supporting her son with his finances as he was finding it difficult to get regular work. Because she only had a modest pension she was finding it difficult to cope with mortgage and loan repayments. Mrs. G. had had operations on her feet which meant she required special shoes which are very expensive and because of the area in which she lived, needed a car to go shopping and to visit her local G.P. surgery. Our Trustees made her a regular beneficiary, thus enabling her to live more comfortably and with less anxiety.
Mrs. L. was referred to us by SSAFA requesting help to pay mortgage arrears. She had been made redundant from her job as a supervisor in a local provisions company and was also caring for a seriously ill husband. She was visited by one of our Trustees and our Welfare Visitor who assessed her situation. Before her redundancy, Mrs L. had borrowed money to purchase an electrically powered scooter for her husband plus money for essential repairs to the house, but she now found herself with huge debts and a much reduced income and was unable to keep up with repayments. PTBI paid £500 towards mortgage arrears and later a further £500 towards the purchase of a car which was essential for her work as a Carer. Sadly, soon afterwards her husband died and she had to sell the house and move into rented accommodation in order to pay off her debts. At this stage it was agreed to make Mrs. L a regular beneficiary. The money she receives from the PTBI together with her pension means she has now been able to give up work and begin to live a more normal life and spend more time with her grandchildren.