I was in debt and couldn’t afford coffee before realising I could get Universal Credit – I’m £4.2k a year better off

THE pandemic took a toll on all of us, with many Brits battling with isolation or money worries during the once-in-a-lifetime event.

But one woman has confessed she found herself in a particularly difficult situation after catching Covid left her unable to work.

Lisa Salloway

Lisa Salloway, who had always prided herself on being a hard worker and a savvy saver, ended up spiralling into debt before discovering she was eligible for benefits.

Despite having a secure job as an HR administrator, the 50-year-old from East Anglia struggled to keep up when the pandemic sent costs soaring and she began racking up credit card debt.

After her rent more than doubled and her bills rose to collectively £1,400 a month, she was forced to move back in with her parents in Hertfordshire.

She used this time to stash away £3,000 to clear her debts and get herself a house, and, as she was lucky enough to still have her job, she was just about getting by again.

But even after getting back on her feet, Lisa found her struggles were far from over.

In 2022, she caught Covid and was signed off from work for three months.

“I was grateful that I received full pay during that time, but my Covid symptoms didn’t go away and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do my work in my current state of health,” she said.

So, she made the tough choice to leave her demanding job and found another role as a foodbank administrator, where she could work fewer hours and cut her commute.

“This massively impacted my salary and I started desperately trying to cut expenses where I could so I could keep up with my bills,” she said.

Lisa learned to shop savvy, living off beans on toast and discounted items from budget retailers like Lidl.

“Virtually everything went up in price, and suddenly I found I was left with barely £100 after paying my rent, bills and travel costs,” she said.

“But that didn’t even cover my food and health costs, like prescriptions or going to a dentist.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t even afford to go for a coffee with a friend.”

Lisa found herself relying on her credit card just to get by and when she couldn’t pay that off, she started taking out loans to cover her repayments.

“It became an endless cycle and I didn’t know how to get out of it.” 

But one morning, Lisa had a stroke of luck when she saw a social media post sharing a link to a benefits calculator.

Like many others, she had always assumed she wouldn’t be entitled to anything. 

“I skimmed past it thinking that’s not for me, but then I went back and thought I’d have a go as it didn’t ask for any personal details,” she said.

“It came back saying I was entitled to around £250 per month. I couldn’t believe it – I actually tried it three times as I thought I must have done something wrong!”

Lisa admitted the process to getting her Universal credit application accepted was long and stressful, but she now gets an extra £4,200 a year which she says has made a “massive difference” to her life.

“I work in administration and even I found it complex, you have to give a lot of details. Plus you have to keep them updated with any major changes to your circumstances,” she said.

“But it has made a huge difference. I can now afford my prescriptions, and I’m great at budgeting so I can afford to have a coffee with a friend and buy birthday and Christmas presents.”

Data from charity has revealed that around 15,000 people could be around £7,000 a year better off after checking their benefits entitlement.

In total, £109million has been found during 2023 by people using the calculator and nationally, it’s estimated £19billion of annual income is still not being claimed.

Lisa still shops in the reduced section at supermarkets and buys in bulk and meal preps where she can.

She has had other help as well, including the £300 cost living payment which she used for her energy bills.

“I only have a small loan to pay off now and I hope my outgoings will stay as they are, but I can’t wait for the day I can turn the heating off in summer,” she said.

While Lisa is now coping, she sees many families who are still in desperate need of help coming to the food bank where she works every day. 

“These people are in serious fuel poverty as they are on prepayment meters and paying a higher rate which is so unfair,” she said.

“There is so much more that could be done for those struggling.”

Visit gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim to check how to claim Universal Credit.

Anyone suffering from a long-term illness, disability or mental health condition can get extra help through personal independence payments (PIP).

The maximum you can receive from the Government benefit is £172.75 a week, so it’s definitely worth claiming if you can.

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