Coat

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When her eldest daughter left home, Audie had to go part-time to it for their two younger children After school. Previously, the rounds had to come to by working long and unsociable hours. Now she was drowning in Debt - and at first it seemed to be a solution seem.

"if I had One wish, it would always be to eat in The House . It is so Hard when my son comes home and says, " mom, there is nothing Here . "It's really Hard . "

Audie is a 44-year-old single from Barking and Dagenham in East London . 10 inhabitants in the municipality owes money to The Council , in the form of council tax or rent arrears, and she is One of them.

Audie had on her oldest daughter for assistance with childcare, picking up her siblings from school and looking After them, while Audie stock checks in a warehouse in the night.

But when her daughter turned 16 years old, pulled it out, and Audie had to find work that allowed her to spend more time at home. "I couldn't risk it," she says.

In her new job, although they do not assemble enough money to your bills and month-to-month-to-month your debts.

As I got to know Audie, she had been summoned to pay to The Council out of housing And money Hub in Barking, After receiving a court order, your rent arrears.

The HAM-Hub, as it is sometimes called, helps the resident maximize your government benefits and budgeting advice designed to enable them to pay their debts.

Audie explains that you are a Single Parent with three children who was now Only capable of part-time work - an average of 18. 5 hours Per week.

"I bought a car and I have to pay it for almost four years. My monthly payment is £285, and my insurance has gone up to £176," She Said .

"I get help from My Family every week, But it is a loan that I must repay. So as soon as my payment comes, can I have to pay for it. There is no more money is always left over. I live on a day-to fight to-day basis-literally. "

Audie broke out in tears as she admitted, she could not always afford to buy food for their children. "I feel left in the lurch," She Said . Their bent shoulders, revealing the intense financial pressure you have been under a strain that carries a Single Parent All alone.

At the end of The Session , the consultant concluded that Audie could not be much less. She left the meeting stuck in your Debt and no Way Out .

Then the BBC Audie Jeanette McKenzie Taylor introduced.

How Audie, Jeannette a mother in her 40s living in Dagenham. When she was younger, she struggled financially After pregnant at 18, she received no support from their religious parents.

"It was really Hard . There were days when I went without lunch," she says.

Jeannette to not expand the jury, your family, until you have control over your life and your finances. This is not quite how things worked out. She "had even more children," she laughs, and although they had finished their training by this point it was difficult times.

Today, she is a qualified accountant, and a volunteer for various community initiatives, such as the community Food Club in Dagenham, which offers a service similar to a "food bank". She says her volunteer work made her aware of how many people in your area are to blame

she seemed the perfect person, to understand, to help Audie, the problems and you will find The Solution that the HAM Hub had, could detect it.

Jeannette and Audie met in early December in Audie's house in Dagenham. Audie The Car , which overall cost you More Than £450 Per month, was left outside, But to eat to the time you and your family had to fight.

"My Daughter lost loads of weight, and I have also said," Audie Jeannette. "I saw my son eats pieces of cereal, One After the other. We can not even milk bars. "

Fix

The Update on BBC Radio 4 to come to solutions to some of the UK's most difficult problems, through the questions of the thinkers with ways on how the problems can be solved, and for the concerned, The Solution to choose the One that you think will work best.

Chris Naylor, chief executive of the borough of Barking and Dagenham made it clear that he will break in search of a solution, the taboo around Debt and poverty promote community cohesion, and could finally get itself upright.

One of the ideas was selected, "I Was There" - a network of local people who experienced Debt , and are willing, other coaches, informally, on How To Get Out of it.

If All goes well, Audie could, "I Was There" - Ambassador in the future.

you will Hear

Jeannette's first piece of advice was the visit to the municipality-where to eat-Club - no One had previously mentioned it to Audie.

Then, Audie budget is calculated, which, in turn, showed that she had "just £2 to the left" at the end of the month, as soon as you rent your car, purchase, rent, bills, and loans were All paid. For a moment it was quiet. Jeannette asked Audie, how you felt, and Audie took a sharp breath. "It's terrible," she confessed sadly, "But I'm not surprised. "

Jeannette began to save their own hacks for money and always in The Black , if you had lived, as they means. "I call it my my time - this is what I use to again," Jeannette declared, Audie. "I shop in charity shops and planning meals. "

Jeannette, of course, Audie car identified as a major burden on your finances. Audie explained that they bought it was buying on the installment plan because you don't have the liquid Bar, a large purchase outright. You will eventually own The Car , to pay far more money than if you had paid, according to the front - But if you miss it, a One -time payment, would be taken back to The Car , "that would be a great loss for me," She Said .

By the division of the expenditure "needs" and "wants," Jeannette is a tool offered to help, Audie distinguish between essential and non-essential expenditure. They accepted The Car was important, But if Audie admitted she had an Upgrade, consider giving your cell phone at the end of your contract, the old One to the daughter, Jeannette grew fiery, "no, you don't even need a phone! I would be in my want category. "

The Phone in fact, it turned out that there is a great Chance for rescue. By not updating you at the end of your contract, and payment Only for calls and data, Audie could make a major dent in your monthly expenses.

It soon became evident that the Two Women had more in common than they knew. Jeannette shared tips with Audie, How To cook The Caribbean food both grew up in. The neck of mutton, this was a cheap alternative to expensive oxtail Jamaican stew, she pointed out, and grating a carrot in a certain way, made it a replacement for the pumpkin noodles in the traditional soup. Audie admitted that it was easy, you have to pay £40 for a soup, the Ingredients - too much, under your current life circumstances.

If Audie Jeannette not to buy the was able to your children's Christmas presents, Jeannette tells her that in a year had happened, said to her. "I've been there," She Said , consulting Audie "just keep your children close". Jeannette then broke into screaming laughter, while she remembered how her children had surprised her mom and dad with gifts under The Tree , "by wrapping things we already owned!"

Audie also mentioned that her daughter is not a winter Coat , because they could not afford - the 13-year-old was with her scarf for warmth, and caught a terrible cold as a result. To give at this point, Jeannette Audie daughter offered a Coat , But also the setting Audie save an ambitious goal, "£50 Per month, at least". Could you do it?

When I looked further, Audie, in the New Year , She Said , the meeting with Jeannette had changed my life.

The Two Women had been in contact over Christmas and Jeannette beamed, as Audie, the changes that you had made revealed held. She had decided not to update your phone, was the use of the Community Food Bank, and had another, very important step.

Jeannette had noticed that Audie worked more in some months than in others, which meant that the amount of universal credit received was always up and down, so that the budgeting difficult. So, on Jeannette advice, Audie had spoken to Her Boss , and stabilizes your work hours.

The result was that Audie was able to save you £50 Per month, But £70. If All goes well, you end, you will pay your car until the end of this year, which means that in the future, you could save a lot more.

Audie giggled. Jeannette's advice and encouragement had given her confidence that she could pull this problem had previously seemed unsolvable.

uplifting stories, long reads, food banks, personal debt, poverty, barking and dagenham london borough council

Source of news: bbc.com