Huddling in a doorway, I pulled the blanket tighter around my body. Sleeping rough on the streets of Birmingham, I’d had abuse hurled at me from passers-by, been hit and spat at. It was terrifying and humiliating.
Just a few months previously, I’d been financially secure, but that was before redundancy sent my life spiralling out of control, leading to homelessness.
I’d been working full-time as an office administrator for a small waste oil company for 10 years when I was made redundant in March 2018, aged 29. When waste oil prices crashed that year, the company’s profits dropped and I lost my job. With my experience, I thought it’d be easy to get another role, but that wasn’t the case. My then-partner was job hunting, too, so I was the sole earner.
As the weeks rolled by with no success, I began applying for jobs in retail, too, as I’d worked in that area previously. Despite being called for a few interviews, I wasn’t offered any of them.
Nowhere to turn
Soon, the bills began to stack up and I fell behind on payments. I contacted all the utility companies and my landlord, explaining my situation, and they helped by coming up with payment plans. But, as time went on and my redundancy money began running low, I started to avoid the reminder letters, praying that the problem would go away. I was entitled to Universal Credit, which helped to sort out the smaller bills, but it wasn’t enough.
Within four months, my redundancy money had run out. Struggling to cope, I lost confidence and became depressed and didn’t want to leave the house.
Denne historien er fra June 22, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 22, 2020-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SUCCESS AGAINST THE ODDS
Pauline Campbell, 59, refused to let her childhood marked with racism stop her from achieving her dreams
Jennifer Saunders 'WE JUST HAD THE BEST TIME'
The Absolutely Fabulous star on her hit sitcom… When the first episode of Absolutely Fabulous aired on BBC2 on 12 November 1992, it introduced viewers to the Bolly-fuelled antics of self-obsessed PR guru Edina ‘Eddie’ Monsoon and her chain-smoking pal Patsy Stone, played by Jennifer Saunders and Dame Joanna Lumley.
HOLIDAY IN HANOI
With its charming buildings and green spaces, Vietnam's capital city deserves a place on your bucket list
Who is better behind the wheel?
Most men believe they are the stronger driver in their relationship, according to a new study...
52 ADVENTURES IN 52 WEEKS!
Jessica Last, 36, believes you don't have to step on a plane to have a trip of a lifetime
CHILDREN IN CRISIS
With the number of homeless children in the UK at a record high, how can we help kids with no place to call home?
A SHARPER BRAIN IN 7 DAYS
Beat foggy thinking and supercharge your memory with these easy lifestyle tweaks
MUM'S PRECIOUS GIFTS
When Genevieve Kingston's mother learnt she was dying, she found a poignant way to marh her children's milestones
KILLED BY OUR NEIGHBOUR
Laura Sugden, 34, always knew the man living next door was trouble
THIS MORNING IN CRISIS!
With plummeting viewing figures and facing a mounting backlash, could Cat Deeley be ready to quit the ITV show?