John is ex Merchant Navy and left the sea in 2003 after falling off scaffolding. Since then, John has been on Incapacity Benefit with an Income Support top-up. He was also getting full Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

John contacted us after his 29 year old daughter suddenly passed away. At around the same time, John had also received a letter from the Council informing him that his Housing and Council Tax Benefit had been suspended as John had started receiving an Occupational Pension of £67.00 a month. The increase in income meant that John would lose his Income Support as well as entitlement to full Housing and Council Tax Benefit. The Council required proof of this income before deciding how much benefit John would be entitled to. John wanted help with the funeral payments as well.

We advised John on the benefits he would be eligible for, especially help with funeral payments from the Social Fund. However, because John was no longer on the qualifying benefit i.e. Income Support, his Housing and Council Tax Benefit had been stopped and he was not eligible for the help with funeral payments.

We contacted Scottish Equitable, whom John had the pension with, and obtained the required evidence of the pension. We then wrote to the Council and requested that they reinstate John's Housing and Council Tax Benefits. This was done and John was able to successfully apply for help with the funeral payments from the Social Fund. This grant covered most of the funeral bill and we obtained the balance of £255 from a maritime charity.

With advice and support from SAIL, John was able to pay for the funeral and secure his entitlement to benefits. We also put John in contact with the Missioner in his local area who supported him through the loss of his daughter, conducted the funeral service and continues to check up on John.

John has recently sent us a card to thank us for our help stating that "he would not have gone through the last months anywhere as well as he has, without our help".