This case study highlights the impact of holistic, wraparound support at GL Communities. Referred by the Royal British Legion after losing his home in a fire, a veteran faced reduced mobility, financial hardship and difficulties maintaining contact with his children.

Working with our Financial Advice team, funding was secured to replace his mobility scooter battery and charger, restoring his independence. An in-house referral to our Welfare and Benefits team ensured wider needs were addressed through a person-centred assessment and emergency supermarket support to help with rising living costs in temporary accommodation.

This coordinated approach provided practical, financial and emotional support through a single service, reducing stress, strengthening family stability, and helping the veteran rebuild independence while maintaining vital family relationships.

Sara* attended an appointment with me at a Children & Family Centre, seeking assistance to complete a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) application for her son, who has autism. English is not her first language, and she had recently relocated from the Philippines.

During the initial interview, I identified additional underlying issues, including financial difficulties and a dispute with her ex-partner regarding child maintenance.

Sara explained that her ex-partner was contesting child maintenance payments, claiming that their son stayed with him equally each week. However, she clarified that the child only stays with him approximately three nights per week, as she requires this arrangement to maintain employment.

Gaining Sara’s trust, we explored the situation further together to ensure a clear and accurate understanding of the child’s living arrangements and the financial hardships Sara was experiencing.

I supported Sara in completing the Disability Living Allowance application, making sure that all information accurately reflected the child’s care needs, supervision requirements, and the impact of Level 2 autism on daily functioning. I liaised with other members of our team for wraparound support and also contacted the child’s school, chasing up relevant documentation to strengthen the application.

In relation to the child maintenance issue, I produced a supporting cover letter for the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). This information was based on discussions with both Sara and a Family Support Worker. This ensured that CMS was provided with clear, relevant information to support an accurate assessment and demonstrates effective advocacy on behalf of the client.

As a result, Sara’s application was successful.

When Jane* first came to see me, she needed support with her Personal Independence Payment (PIP) application. She was living with chronic pain, which significantly affected her ability to manage day-to-day tasks and left her feeling physically exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed. She found the PIP application process daunting and had low confidence to complete it on her own. Alongside her health conditions, she was experiencing financial hardship and was deeply worried about how she would afford food while waiting for a decision. She told me she felt anxious about the future and uncertain about where to turn for help.

I explained the PIP process, ensuring Jane understood each stage and what would be expected of her and liaised with her through each step of the way.

Wraparound support from other members of the team and partners, included liaising with her local GP surgery; help to access the Household Support Fund to help her buy essential groceries; Digital Inclusion support to access the NHS App; and signposting to the support of a Children & Family Centre as a supportive environment.

Jane expressed relief that she would be able to provide food for herself while waiting for her claim to progress. Jane was awarded PIP and thanked me for supporting her throughout the process.

Although Jane received an initial award of the standard rate for both components of PIP, my support continued beyond the decision by challenging the outcome through a Mandatory Reconsideration. This demonstrated the value of ongoing advocacy and person-centred, holistic support, ensuring people feel listened to, empowered and supported every step of the way while giving them the best possible opportunity to receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Becky* is 25 years old, and was 29 weeks pregnant. She was living in temporary accommodation and struggling with financial hardship. Jenny sought help through a self-referral to me, after becoming homeless while pregnant, having fled domestic abuse. She was staying temporarily with her partner in supported accommodation where she was not permitted to live and was at immediate risk of street homelessness.

Becky needed support with a homelessness application, accessing social housing and maintaining her benefits. She also experienced anxiety, depression and social isolation.

After exploring Becky’s situation with her, we completed an urgent homelessness application to her District Council. This resulted in temporary accommodation being secured before she became street homeless.

Liaising with a volunteer in our team, we provided support to complete her HomeSeeker Plus application. Due to a history of domestic abuse and housing instability, Becky was unable to provide five years of tenancy records. I worked alongside Becky to gather all available evidence, I contacted the Council to explain her circumstances and submitted supporting documents on Becky’s behalf.

As a result, the suspended application was reinstated, allowing Becky to begin bidding for permanent housing.

I completed a benefits check for Becky, which confirmed that Becky was receiving her full entitlement, including Universal Credit with the LCWRA (Limited Capability for Work Related Activity) element. I also provided advice on completing a Personal Independence Payment application, which will be addressed once her housing situation is stable. In this way, as Advisors we learn from the person what they are struggling with and help them prioritise what matters most to them, before moving on to further support such as additional benefit entitlements, volunteering, and community connections.

Regular follow-up appointments provided practical guidance, advocacy and emotional support throughout.

As a result of this support, Becky (who had felt mistrustful of statutory support) was prevented from becoming street homeless and secured safe temporary accommodation during her pregnancy.

Her HomeSeeker Plus application was successfully reinstated, enabling her to bid for permanent accommodation. She remained financially stable through receipt of the correct benefits and gained a better understanding of the housing system and available support. This in turn has improved Becky’s confidence and resilience.

Jim* is a single retired gentleman living in a one bedroomed social housing property.

Jim was referred to me as an Advice Worker from the local foodbank.

Jim presented an outstanding Severn Trent bill which he was worried about and struggling to afford. His current income is State Pension and Enhanced Daily Living PIP. He also receives Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.

I worked alongside Jim to get a ‘hold’ placed on the Severn Trent account.

I completed an ‘Entitled to’ benefit calculation with Jim. This highlighted that due to Jim’s award of PIP Daily Living, he was entitled to Pension Credit. This would give him an extra income of £79.95 per week.

I assisted Jim to complete the application and a request for a 3 month backdate was applied.

Once the Pension Credit claim was processed, an application to Severn Trent Water ‘Big Difference Scheme’ was submitted.

This application was accepted. This contained the outstanding debt and significantly lowered his ongoing charges.

Jim was very appreciative of the assistance given and stated this had made a great difference to his wellbeing due to extra income he now receives. He now feels that he is able to manage his finances more effectively and did not have the constant worry as previously.

One veteran attending a VSCAN (Veterans Scanning for Cancer Awareness Network) session shared that he had previously been treated for skin cancer but had recently discovered another lump on his head. Although he was concerned, he admitted he had delayed seeking medical advice because he was frightened of what the diagnosis might be.

Following the presentation, he spoke with the VSCAN team about his concerns. As the session was delivered in a trusted veteran environment by GL Communities, an independent non-military charity with strong links to the veteran community, he felt comfortable discussing his fears openly. Through reassurance and supportive discussion, he was encouraged to contact his GP. With our support, he made an appointment to have the lump examined.

This demonstrates how VSCAN is helping veterans overcome fear and anxiety about seeking medical help. It also highlights the value of delivering health messages through trusted community organisations that understand military culture and can act as a bridge between veterans and healthcare services.

"I'd been putting it off because I was scared of what they might find. Talking to someone who understood where I was coming from gave me the confidence to make the appointment."

Two older veterans who attended VSCAN (Veterans Scanning for Cancer Awareness Network) sessions explained that they had not visited their GP surgery for some time and had not previously considered the value of routine health checks.

The informal and supportive environment created by GL Communities encouraged both veterans to discuss their health openly. Following the session, they booked appointments with their GP surgeries. Alongside discussing cancer screening, they also requested Well Man Health Checks to review their overall health.

This illustrates that the project's impact extends beyond cancer awareness. By encouraging veterans to reconnect with primary healthcare services through a trusted community organisation that understands the veteran community, VSCAN has promoted a wider culture of preventative healthcare and early intervention.

"We're used to just getting on with things and not bothering anyone. The session reminded me that looking after my health is just as important, and it encouraged me to book a check-up."