Budgeting, debt and mental health – Lisa’s story

Anxiety and depression can be overwhelming – and are often the cause of debt and spiralling bills. 

Due to her mental health, Lisa had not opened her post since moving into the property and had not paid attention to her finances. 

She hadn’t paid any water bills or her TV licence. While her electricity was on a meter, her gas wasn’t – and she hadn’t paid any since her arrival at the property in June 2022. 

Lisa was referred to our Debt Advice Service for some support. Together, we set some goals, tailored around Lisa’s aims to reduce her anxiety and support her with her post to establish what her financial issues were. 

We supported her to open her post and to prioritise documents as we found them.

Our focus was around income maximisation and looking for debt solutions that would support Lisa’s income in the short term. 

Our Debt Advice officer contacted TV licensing with Lisa and explained her mental health and completed a full budget. They agreed to write off £192 of debt and all court action was ceased. This helped with Lisa’s anxiety. 

We also contacted Lisa’s water provider and discussed her health and budget. The provider agreed to write off the £300 debt and move her onto the ‘Essentials Tariff’, saving Lisa 45% on her ongoing water bills. Bristol and West Water then agreed a payment plan for her £840 debt, and an outreach project secured Lisa a £20 voucher and an air fryer. 

We worked with Lisa to prioritise her budget and look at what was essential and non-essential payments. 

Lisa is now in a new role working full time. She has less anxiety over her debts and is opening her post daily, as she feels in more control of her finances. Lisa said how much happier she was now she had our support.