Violet's Story

Violet, a 68-year old woman from the West Indies, was living on the streets and on buses when she came to the Ace of Clubs – one of our partner day centres – to speak to a Glass Door Caseworker in August 2023. She had been in the UK for over 20 years and had been living in a flat but when she stopped working due to illness, she couldn’t pay the rent anymore. She had diabetes and had also been hit by a car which had left her with mobility issues. 

She had permission to stay in the UK on the 10-year route to settlement but had no recourse to public funds. Our Migrant Project Caseworker applied to the Home Office for a change of conditions as without access to public funds Violet was destitute. This was approved in September, and we then supported her to apply for pension credit. Despite having worked for over 15 years, there was some confusion over her National Insurance number and how many qualifying years she had accrued, but eventually her application was assessed, and she was awarded pension credit. As she was still sleeping rough, we made a referral to StreetLink and she was seen by an outreach worker. We also liaised with the outreach officer to accelerate her housing application with the local authority. 

Violet was finally offered accommodation by the local authority, she is now in receipt of all the benefits she is entitled to and she is happy in her own flat. She has recently been in touch with Glass Door to thank her caseworkers for their help. 

Here, she talks about her experience of working with Glass Door to find her route out of homelessness.  

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The people at Glass Door and Ace of Clubs are very nice. They look after us well. They teach, they show us respect and we show them respect. So it was good meeting them.

If I hadn’t gone there, I wouldn't have got a house from Lewisham Council.

So it was good for me to go there. I often encourage others to go there too. 

It was just me alone in this country. I have no family here, nobody but church sisters and brothers. It's just me alone. I had trouble with finding a rental, not just because of the price, but the quality and the availability. I mean, it's really difficult. That combination. Expensive quality and quantity. So many people need somewhere and there aren’t any nice places.  

One day, the council said they were giving me a house in Lambeth. And I said, no. I told them, ‘no, I'm not going there, it’s too far. How am I going to get to church?’ But then I called them and told them to come for me and show me it. And when I went, I'm telling you, I was pleased with it.  

I'm comfortable there. It's a bedroom, my kitchen and my bathroom and the passage, and the room is big, a big room which can part into two. I will have to move one day. I'm not going to stay there forever, eventually they will give me a different flat. But it’s good, I’m comfortable.  

I have a nice relationship with Boguslaw, my caseworker, a great relationship. If I call him and don't get him straightaway, he always calls me back.

One time I needed to bleed my radiators, and he came round and did it for me. 

Frances is awesome too. I'm telling you, she's awesome. As soon as a young man at Ace of Clubs gave her my number, she called me. In not even a week, they got me access to a public fund so that I could get pension credit. These people are very good. 

I have no complaints about Glass Door or Ace of Clubs because they helped me. If it was not for them, I wouldn't have a house. I'd be still roaming on the street out there, here, there and everywhere. 

I always tell others who are struggling that this is a good place to come. If they are homeless, they can come here and they will get help.