Domestic abuse

The following story is reflective of a real-life customer situation that we have seen and helped. We have changed the name, exact events and used photos of actors in order to maintain confidentiality.

Sue found herself in a very difficult situation when her husband became abusive. She had to leave her home suddenly for her own safety. She needed help with her account until she was safe and back on her feet.

Sue had been having a particularly difficult time. Her husband had been physically and emotionally abusive for a while. Making arrangements to leave had not been easy. This was due to the control her husband had over her finances.

Things hadn’t worked out as she’d planned. She ended up having to leave suddenly for her own safety. This left her homeless and also meant she had to temporarily leave her job. With so much to deal with, Sue also had to make some sudden changes to her finances.

Her local council was helping her find housing and work, but it was likely to take a couple of weeks.

Sue contacted us to find out what we could do to help. Because it was such a personal issue, it wasn’t easy for her to have the first conversation with us. She felt more at ease contacting us via our live chat. We listened, discussed different options, and explained to her that we were here to help.

Based on our conversation and her circumstances, we agreed to hold payments for a month. This gave Sue the time she needed to get herself back on her feet. She wouldn’t be able to use the line of credit until that point as well, to help avoid getting into more debt.

We also explained how Sue would be able to update her own address and contact details using her online account, so she wouldn’t have to do it over the phone. After the month break, Sue was in a position to resume her monthly payments and didn’t need to look at any repayment arrangements, she also now had the reassurance that if she ever needed it, we were there to help.

Making life changes like this is difficult and scary, especially when they’re not planned. If you need help with a similar situation, please reach out. We will always listen. We will work together with you to find the right solution. We’ll advise you where to find free and independent help.